LIMITED LICENSE PSYCHOLOGISTS; MODIFY REQ. S.B. 413:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 413 (as introduced 6-11-25)
LIMITED LICENSE PSYCHOLOGISTS; MODIFY REQ. S.B. 413:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 413 (as introduced 6-11-25)
CONTENT
The bill would amend Part 182 (Psychology) of the Public Health Code to modify the licensure requirements of a limited license psychologist, which is generally a psychologist with a master's degree instead of a doctoral degree. The bill would increase, from one year to two years and at least 4,000 hours, the amount of postgraduate experience in a supervised setting required to be granted a limited license. The bill also would allow an individual who was granted a limited license to practice psychology without supervision. Finally, the bill would modify the composition of the Michigan Board of Psychology (Board).
Requirements for Limited License Psychologists
Under the Code, the Board must grant a limited license to engage in the practice of psychology to an individual who has a master's degree in psychology from a regionally-accredited college, university, or institution approved by the Board if the individual has education, training, and experience appropriate to the practice of psychology as established by the Board.
Except for duties performed as an employee of a governmental entity or of a nonprofit organization serving benevolent and charitable purposes, the Board must place two limitations on a limited license: 1) required supervision by a fully-licensed psychologist and 2) a prohibition on advertising or other representation to the public that lead the public to believe the individual who has been assigned the limited license is engaging in the practice of psychology. A limited license is renewable under Part 161 (General Provisions). An individual who is applying for a limited license must have one year of supervised postgraduate experience in an organized health care setting or other arrangement as established by the Board. The postgraduate experience must be supervised by a fully-licensed psychologist, or if a fully-licensed psychologist is not available, by a psychologist who has at least a master's degree in psychology and at least three years of experience in the practice of psychology or by any other individual approved by the Board.
Beginning on the effective date of the bill, the provisions above would no longer apply.
Instead, under the bill, the Board would have to grant a limited license to engage in the practice of psychology to an individual who had been granted a master's degree in psychology from a regionally-accredited college, university, or institution approved by the Board if the individual had education, training, and experience appropriate to the practice of psychology as established by the Board.
An individual who was applying for a limited license who was granted a master's degree in psychology before August 31, 2027, would have to have two years and at least 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate experience. An individual who was granted a master's degree on or after August 31, 2027, would have to have two years and at least 4,000 hours of supervised
postgraduate experience. An individual in the process of obtaining postgraduate experience under the Code's current requirements on the bill's effective date would continue under the existing requirements of one year of supervised postgraduate experience. The postgraduate experience would have to be completed in an organized healthcare setting or other arrangement as established by the Board and would have to be supervised by a fully-licensed psychologist or, if a fully-licensed psychologist were not available, by a psychologist who had at least a master's degree in psychology and at least three years of experience in the practice of psychology, or by any other individual approved by the Board.
An individual who was granted a limited license could engage in the practice of psychology without supervision and would have to perform an act, task, or function within the practice of psychology for which the individual was qualified by education, training, or experience. An individual who held a limited license could not perform, offer to perform, or represent that the individual was qualified to perform any of the acts, tasks, or functions within the scope of practice of psychology that the individual was not qualified by education, training, or experience to perform, or that the individual was otherwise prohibited by law from performing. An individual who held a limited license under existing law on the bill's effective date would be considered to hold a limited license under the bill and would not be subject to the limitations on the license as described in existing law.
Changes to Michigan Board of Psychology
The Board regulates the licensure of mental health professionals in Michigan. The Governor appoints the members of the Board for four-year terms. Currently, the Board consists of nine voting members comprised of the following:
-- Five psychologists, at least one of whom must hold a limited license.
-- Four public members.
Beginning on the bill's effective date, the Governor would have to replace the first public member whose term expired with a fully licensed psychologist. Additionally, the Governor would have to appoint two additional limited license psychologists to the Board. As such, the Board would consist of 11 voting members comprised of the following:
-- Eight psychologists, three of whom held a limited license and five of whom held a full license.
-- Three public members.
MCL 333.18221 et al. Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.