North Carolina SB 674: Lic. Mental Health Reciprocity/Recognition.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 674

Short Title: Lic. Mental Health Reciprocity/Recognition. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Smith and Grafstein (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S674-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO INCREASE ACCESS TO LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS 2
FOR CITIZENS IN NORTH CAROLINA THROUGH RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS 3
FOR CERTAIN OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING BOARDS. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
SECTION 1. Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article 6
to read: 7
"Article 18J. 8
"Mental Health Professionals Licensure Reciprocity. 9
"§ 90-270.200. Title; purpose. 10
This Article shall be known as and may be cited as the "Mental Health Licensure Recognition 11
Act." The purpose of this Article is to improve access to mental health care professionals for the 12
citizens of North Carolina through reciprocity with other states. 13
"§ 90-270.201. Definitions. 14
The following definitions apply in this Article: 15
(1) Licensed clinical mental health counselor associate. – As defined in 16
G.S. 90-330. 17
(2) Licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor. – As defined in 18
G.S. 90-330. 19
(3) Licensed marriage and family therapist. – As defined in G.S. 90-270.47. 20
(4) Licensed marriage and family therapy associate. – As defined in 21
G.S. 90-270.47. 22
(5) Licensed mental health professional. – A licensed clinical mental health 23
counselor associate, licensed clinical mental health counselor supervisor, 24
licensed marriage and family therapy associate, licensed marriage and family 25
therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. 26
(6) Psychiatrist. – Licensed in accordance with Article 1 of this Chapter. 27
(7) Psychologist. – As defined in G.S. 90-270.136. 28
"§ 90-270.202. Reciprocity; licensure. 29
(a) A licensed mental health professional licensed or certified in another State shall be 30
able to practice in their respective scopes of licensure in this State under the appropriate licensing 31
board in accordance with this Article. A licensed mental health professional seeking to qualify 32
for licensure under this Article shall comply with the following criteria: 33
(1) Apply for licensure with the appropriate licensing board. 34
(2) Pay any appropriate fees set by statute or rule for the application and criminal 35
background check. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 674-First Edition
(3) Comply with any application requirements under Chapter 93B of the General 1
Statutes. 2
(4) Provide a social security number to the licensing board. 3
(5) Has engaged in the active practice of the occupation for which the person is 4
seeking a license or certification from the occupational licensing board in this 5
State for at least two of the five years preceding the date of the application 6
under this section. 7
(6) Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted 8
grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice that 9
occupation in this State at the time the act was committed and has no pending 10
complaints. 11
(b) No later than 60 days after receipt of an application from a licensed mental health 12
professional under this Article, an occupational licensing board shall either issue a license or 13
certification or notify the applicant when the applicant does not qualify under this Article for 14
licensure or certification. If the applicant has a pending complaint in another jurisdiction, the 15
occupational licensing board shall notify the applicant of the refusal for licensure under this 16
section. 17
(c) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to supersede or invalidate any existing 18
interstate compact or reciprocity agreement, including Articles 24A and 18H of this Chapter, 19
entered into by the State or an occupational licensing board that licenses or certifies applicants 20
pursuant to this Article." 21
SECTION 2. The Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, North 22
Carolina Psychology Board, North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy Licensure Board, and 23
the North Carolina Medical Board shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this act. 24
SECTION 3. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 25