B. Two years of experience after obtainment of a master's degree or a doctoral degree comprised of at least 1,000 hours of direct clinical contact with couples and families and 200 hours of supervision, at least 100 of which shall must be individual supervision.

Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §13858, sub-§3-A, ¶B, as amended by PL 1991, c. 263, §3, is further amended to read:

B. Received a Master of Divinity degree or a Doctor of Divinity degree, or an equivalent degree approved by the board, from an accredited institution or a program approved by the board. Academic preparation includes a minimum graduate core curriculum to include 20 credit hours of counseling and human relations and 400 hours of clinical pastoral education;

Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §13858, sub-§8 is enacted to read:

8.__Rulemaking.__The board shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of subsections 1, 2 and 3 and subsection 3-A, paragraph B.__Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §13865 is enacted to read:

§13865.__Service of process; filing requirement

Licensees who maintain licensure in this State and establish legal residency in another jurisdiction shall submit to the Board of Counseling Professionals Licensure within 30 days of residency in another jurisdiction an irrevocable consent to service of process on the licensee for an action filed in a court of this State arising out of the licensee's activities as a licensee in this State.__Service may be made by delivery of the process to the Director of the Office of Licensing and Registration within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation if, in the exercise of due diligence, a plaintiff can not effect personal service upon the licensee.

SUMMARY

This bill clarifies existing statutory language regarding educational requirements for counselor licensure. This bill removes barriers to licensure for qualified practitioners,