All Roll Calls
Yes: 217 • No: 1
ArkansasHB12542025 Regular SessionHouse
TO AUTHORIZE A LICENSED PSYCHOLOGICAL PRACTITIONER TO PRACTICE INDEPENDENTLY IN THIS STATE; AND TO REMOVE THE INDEPENDENT PRACTICE PRIVILEGES FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINERS.
Sponsored By: Missy Irvin (Republican), Lee Johnson (Republican)
Enacted
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Payment options for psychological practitioner services
Licensed psychological practitioners can receive payment for their services from Medicare, Arkansas Medicaid, private insurance, and other health benefit plans. Healthcare providers and professionals can also pay for these services. The law does not set payment rates, change patient eligibility, or state what patients pay out of pocket. Actual coverage and payment depend on the payer’s policies.
Psychological examiners face tighter practice rules
Arkansas removes psychological examiners’ statutory privilege to practice independently. Examiners must work under a qualified psychologist for services outside the activities listed in Arkansas Code § 17-97-102(a)(2)(A). The Arkansas Psychology Board cannot issue new examiner licenses after December 31, 2026. This deadline stops new licenses; it does not itself cancel existing licenses.
New independent psychology license with limits
Arkansas creates a licensed psychological practitioner credential for independent practice within the provider’s coursework, training, and supervised experience. It covers diagnosis, treatment planning, evidence-based therapy, testing, educational evaluations and support, and patient and family consultation. Practitioners can also work with other healthcare professionals and supervise provisionally licensed master’s-level clinicians in areas where they are qualified. Independent practice excludes neuropsychological, forensic psychological, and projective personality assessments. Applicants generally need a board-approved, 60-semester-hour master’s degree in health services psychology with required coursework. They need an 800-hour practicum or internship, including at least 400 hours serving clients, and at least one residency year. After the degree, they need 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, including at least 2,200 hours serving clients. The first 1,000 direct-service hours require one supervision hour per 10 client-service hours; remaining hours require one per 20. Supervised training also requires 100 hours of related classroom-style learning each year. Applicants must pass required exams, meet ethics standards, request a criminal background check, and have no disqualifying offense. They must not have failed a board exam within the six months before applying. The board can accept substitute training and experience and issue provisional licenses for post-degree supervised training. Licensed examiners granted independent practice by the board on or before December 31, 2024, are exempt from the stated education and training requirements.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Missy Irvin
Republican • Senate
Lee Johnson
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 3/31/2025
House Vote - Monday, March 31, 2025 1:46:56 PM
Yes: 96 • No: 0 • Other: 2
Senate vote • 3/19/2025
Senate Vote - Wednesday, March 19, 2025 4:15:57 PM
Yes: 28 • No: 1 • Other: 4
House vote • 2/19/2025
House Vote - Wednesday, February 19, 2025 1:56:51 PM
Yes: 93 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Notification that HB1254 is now Act 433
4/3/2025HouseCorrectly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office.
3/31/2025HouseTO BE ENROLLED
3/31/2025HouseSenate amendment # 1 read and concurred in.
3/31/2025HouseReturned from Senate as passed, as amended # 1
3/19/2025HouseReturned to the House as passed as amended # 1 .
3/19/2025SenateRead the third time and passed.
3/19/2025SenateREPORTED CORRECTLY ENGROSSED
3/18/2025SenateAmendment # 1 read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and adopted, ordered engrossed.
3/18/2025SenatePlaced on second reading for purpose of amendment.
3/18/2025SenateReturned by the Committee with the recommendation that it Do Pass as amended, Amendment # 1
3/17/2025SenateRead first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE - SENATE
2/19/2025SenateReceived from the House.
2/19/2025SenateRead the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate.
2/19/2025HouseReturned by the Committee Do Pass
2/18/2025HouseRead the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE AND LABOR COMMITTEE- HOUSE
1/27/2025HouseFiled
1/27/2025House
Bill Text
HB1254 - Introduced
1/27/2025
Act Version
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