Brief Description: The Board of Professional Counselors (Board) proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 62 of the Alaska Administrative Code, dealing with continuing education verification requirements and standards for an approved counselor supervisor certification, including the following:
- 12 AAC 62.130. License By Credentials, is proposed to remove the requirement that an applicant for a professional counselor license by credentials shall submit verification of continuing education credits.
- 12 AAC 62.200. Approved Counselor Supervisor Certification, is proposed to add standards by which the board may deny an application for an approved counselor supervisor certification to clarify the standards by which the board will ask professional fitness questions of applicants.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806. Additionally, the Board will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/215476, and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on July 1, 2024.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Board will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Board’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/ProfessionalCounselors.aspx.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than June 24, 2024 to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Stefanie Davis at (907) 465-2537, RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/PCO-0224.pdf.
After the public comment period ends, the Board will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected.
Statutory Authority: AS 08.29.020; AS 08.29.110; AS 08.29.120; AS 08.29.210; AS 08.29.400
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: AS 08.29.020; AS 08.29.120; AS 08.29.210; AS 08.29.400
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation. The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code. If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.
DATE: 5/28/2024
Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – Board of Professional Counselors.
2. General subject of regulation: Update requirements for licensure by credentials and approved counselor supervisor certification regulations.
3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 62.130, 12 AAC 62.200.
4. Department of Law file number: 2024200099.
5. Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarification of current regulations; compliance with state statute.
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
A private person: None known.
Another state agency: None known.
A municipality: None known.
8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars): No costs are expected in FY 2024 or in subsequent years.
9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
Jeanne Pace, Program Coordinator
Board of Professional Counselors
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
E-mail: ProfessionalCounselors@Alaska.Gov
10. The origin of the proposed action: Staff of state agency.
11. Date: 5/28/2024
Prepared by: Stefanie Davis, Regulations Specialist