Bill Text - HB1440 (2020)

(New TItle) relative to insurance credentialing of out-of-state applicants for licensure as alcohol and drug counselors.


Revision: Dec. 3, 2019, 9:16 a.m.

HB 1440 - AS INTRODUCED

 

 

2020 SESSION

20-2342

10/01

 

HOUSE BILL 1440

 

AN ACT relative to membership on the board of psychologists and the board of licensing for alcohol and other drug use professionals, and relative to insurance credentialing of out-of-state applicants for licensure as alcohol and drug counselors.

 

SPONSORS: Rep. Meader, Ches. 6; Rep. Snow, Hills. 19

 

COMMITTEE: Commerce and Consumer Affairs

 

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ANALYSIS

 

The bill adds 2 members to the board of psychologists and the board of licensing for alcohol and other drug use professionals.  The bill also adds out-of-state applicants for licensure as licensed alcohol and drug counselors, licensed clinical supervisors, or master licensed alcohol and drug counselors to insurance credentialing verification requirements.

 

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

20-2342

10/01

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

 

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty

 

AN ACT relative to membership on the board of psychologists and the board of licensing for alcohol and other drug use professionals, and relative to insurance credentialing of out-of-state applicants for licensure as alcohol and drug counselors.

 

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 

1  Board of Psychologists; Membership.  Amend RSA 329-B:3 to read as follows:

329-B:3  Board of Psychologists.

I.  There shall be a board of psychologists composed of 5 licensed psychologists [and], 3 public members, one member from a community mental health center, and one member from a community health center.  The members shall be appointed to a term of 3 years by the governor with the approval of the council.  The members of the board shall elect a chairperson on an annual basis.  Chairperson terms shall alternate between psychologist and public members.

II.  The board members shall not serve more than 2 consecutive 3-year terms.

III.  Members shall serve terms for the initial board appointment period staggered across the following terms: 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year lengths.  Distribution of appointees for each term length shall be one public board member serving in each term length and 2 professionals serving the 2-year and 3-year term lengths and one professional serving the 4-year term length.  The initial appointment for the community mental health center member shall be for 2 years.  All subsequent appointments shall be for 3-year terms.

2  Board of Psychologists; Quorum.  Amend RSA 329-B:9, I to read as follows:

I.  The board shall hold regular annual meetings.  Other meetings of the board shall be held at such times and upon such notice as the rules of the board provide.  [Five] Six members shall constitute a quorum.

3  Board of Licensing for Alcohol and Other Drug Use Professionals; Membership; Quorum.  Amend RSA 330-C:9, I - IX to read as follows:

I.  There is established a board of licensing for alcohol and other drug use professionals.  The board shall comprise [7] 9 members to be appointed by the governor with the consent of the council.  The members of the board shall be citizens of the United States and shall include 4 master licensed alcohol and drug counselors, one licensed alcohol and drug counselor, one certified recovery support worker, one member from a community mental health center, and one member from a community health center, and one member of the general public.

II.  Each MLADC member of the board shall be a resident of this state, licensed in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in the practice of the profession, and shall have no fewer than 5 years of experience as a MLADC, at least 3 of which shall have immediately preceded appointment.

III.  The LADC member shall be a resident of this state, licensed in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in the practice of the profession, and shall have no fewer than 5 years of experience as a LADC, at least 3 of which shall have immediately preceded appointment.

IV.  The CRSW member shall be a resident of this state, certified in good standing under the provisions of this chapter, and currently engaged in the practice of the profession, and shall have no fewer than 3 years of experience as a CRSW, at least 2 of which shall have immediately preceded appointment.

IV-a.  The member from a community mental health center and the member from a community health center shall each shall be a resident of this state and currently engaged and in good standing in the practice of their profession.

V.  The public member shall be a resident of this state for at least one year who has not, and has never been, licensed or certified under the provisions of this chapter or the spouse of a licensee or certificate holder under this chapter.  The public member shall not have, and shall never have had, a material financial interest in either the provision of alcohol and other drug use professional services or an activity directly related to the provisions of such services, including the representation of the board or its predecessor or the profession for a fee at any time during the 5 years preceding the date of appointment.

VI.  No more than one board member shall be associated with, employed by, or in a contractual relationship with a particular agency, corporation, or other enterprise or subsidiary at one time.

VII.  No board member shall participate in clinical supervision or any other professional relationship with another board member in which one board member has a subordinate role to the other.  In addition, no 2 board members shall be family members.  For the purposes of this paragraph, persons are "family members" if they are related, live in the same domicile, and share a common economic interest in the expenses of daily living and shall include, but not be limited to, a spouse, child, parents, or parties that have entered into a civil union.

VIII.  No board member shall participate in any matter before the board in which the member has a pecuniary or personal interest or other conflict of interest.

IX.  The board shall elect a chairperson annually from among its membership.  [Four] Five members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

4  New Subparagraph; Reimbursement for Providers Waiting for Health Carrier Credentialing Verification.  Amend RSA 420-J:8-c II by inserting after subparagraph (b) the following new subparagraph:

(c)  Alcohol and drug counselors licensed under RSA 330 and applicants for licensure as licensed alcohol and drug counselors, licensed clinical supervisors, or master licensed alcohol and drug counselors who are deemed able to practice in this state pursuant to RSA 330-C:21, I-a.

5  Effective Date.  This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.