BILL REQ. #:  S-5533.1 

Read first time 03/17/10.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to the practice of counseling; and amending RCW 18.19.040.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 18.19.040 and 2008 c 135 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:
     Nothing in this chapter may be construed to prohibit or restrict:
     (1) The practice of a profession by a person who is either registered, certified, licensed, or similarly regulated under the laws of this state and who is performing services within the person's authorized scope of practice, including any attorney admitted to practice law in this state when providing counseling incidental to and in the course of providing legal counsel;
     (2) The practice of counseling by an employee or trainee of any federal agency, or the practice of counseling by a student of a college or university, if the employee, trainee, or student is practicing solely under the supervision of and accountable to the agency, college, or university, through which he or she performs such functions as part of his or her position for no additional fee other than ordinary compensation;
     (3) The practice of counseling by a person for no compensation;
     (4) The practice of counseling by persons offering services for public and private nonprofit organizations or charities not primarily engaged in counseling for a fee when approved by the organizations or agencies for whom they render their services;
     (5) Evaluation, consultation, planning, policy-making, research, or related services conducted by social scientists for private corporations or public agencies;
     (6) The practice of counseling by a person under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or organization, or the practice of religion itself;
     (7) The practice of counseling by peer counselors who use their own experience to encourage and support people with similar conditions or activities related to the training of peer counselors; ((and))
     (8) Counselors who reside outside Washington state from providing up to ten days per quarter of training or workshops in the state, as long as they do not hold themselves out to be registered or certified in Washington state; and
     (9) During the 2009-2011 biennium, the practice of counseling by juvenile probation counselors or other employees of the juvenile court through functional family therapy, aggression replacement training, or other evidence-based programs approved by the juvenile rehabilitation administration.