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HB 668PENNSYLVANIASession 2025-2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

Pennsylvania authorizes joining the Counseling Compact to allow multistate practice for professional counselors

Original title: An Act authorizing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to join the Counseling Compact; and providing for the form of the compact.

Last action · May 5, 2026: Laid on the table (Pursuant to Senate Rule 9), May 5, 2026Sponsors: Jenn O'Mara and 35 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Pennsylvania authorizes the Governor to join the Counseling Compact, allowing licensed professional counselors to practice in member states and via telehealth through a mutual recognition system. The State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors must accept compact privilege applications and promulgate temporary regulations within 180 days.

Why it matters

Licensed professional counselors in Pennsylvania can obtain a in other member states without acquiring separate licenses, and out-of-state counselors can practice in Pennsylvania under specific eligibility and fee rules.

Background

The Counseling Compact is an interstate compact designed to facilitate the multistate practice of licensed professional counselors while maintaining public health and safety protections. context
House Bill 668 was introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly by Representative O'Mara and passed the origin chamber before being tabled in the Senate. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Licensed Professional Counselors

Licensed professional counselors gain the ability to practice in remote member states and via telehealth through a mutual recognition system, provided they meet compact eligibility requirements.

Directly affected

Active Duty Military personnel and their spouses

Military personnel and their spouses can designate a home state and retain that home state designation while on active duty.

Directly affected

State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors

The board is required to promulgate temporary regulations and begin accepting compact privilege applications within 180 days.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary goal of the Counseling Compact?

The compact aims to increase public access to professional counseling services through the mutual recognition of other member state licenses, support relocating military spouses, and eliminate the necessity for licenses in multiple states.

Who is eligible to use the privilege to practice in remote states?

Licensed professional counselors who hold a license in their home state, have a valid SSN or National Practitioner Identifier, have no encumbrances against any license or privilege within the previous two years, meet continuing education and jurisprudence requirements, and pay applicable fees.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

Coverage by outlet perspective1 article

Unrated 1

Blind spot - only covered by center outlets

Meeting to consider SB 331 and SB 571; and HB 78, HB 80, HB 482, HB 554, HB 668 and HB 1961

Pennsylvania Senate RepublicansFeb 3, 2026

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Tabled in the Senate.

Procedural history

14 actions

May 5, 2026Senate
Laid on the table (Pursuant to Senate Rule 9), May 5, 2026
Feb 4, 2026SenateIntroduced
First consideration, Feb. 4, 2026
Feb 4, 2026Senate
Reported as amended, Feb. 4, 2026
Jun 6, 2025SenateCommittee
Referred to CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, June 6, 2025
Jun 6, 2025Senate
In the Senate
Jun 4, 2025HouseFloor
Third consideration and final passage, June 4, 2025 (186-16)

Show 8 earlier actions

Jun 4, 2025HouseCommittee
Re-reported as committed, June 4, 2025
Jun 3, 2025House
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, June 3, 2025
Jun 3, 2025HouseFloor
Second consideration, June 3, 2025
Jun 2, 2025House
Removed from table, June 2, 2025
May 6, 2025House
Laid on the table, May 6, 2025
May 6, 2025HouseIntroduced
First consideration, May 6, 2025
May 6, 2025House
Reported as amended, May 6, 2025
Feb 20, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, Feb. 20, 2025

Version history & redline

3 versions on file

Comparing Printer's No. 1620 → Printer's No. 2869

removed addedOfficial text

SENATE AMENDED PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 675 NOS. 675, 1620 PRINTER'S NO. 1620 2869 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No. 668 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY O'MARA, BRENNAN, PIELLI, SANCHEZ, HANBIDGE, HILL- EVANS, CIRESI, GUENST, HOWARD, DONAHUE, SCHLOSSBERG, HOHENSTEIN, KHAN, FIEDLER, SHUSTERMAN, FREEMAN, CEPEDA- FREYTIZ, CERRATO, OTTEN, SMITH-WADE-EL, GREEN, STEELE, CURRY, MADDEN, BOROWSKI, SAPPEY, MATZIE, SCOTT, KRAJEWSKI AND KRAJEWSKI, McNEILL, E. NELSON, WEBSTER, T. DAVIS, RIVERA AND FRIEL, FEBRUARY 20, 2025 AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON SENATOR STEFANO, CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED, MAY 6, 2025 FEBRUARY 4, 2026 AN ACT Authorizing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to join the Counseling Compact; and providing for the form of the compact. The General Assembly of […] states of the United States, and the General Assembly hereby signifies in advance its approval and ratification of such compact: COUNSELING COMPACT MODEL LEGISLATION SECTION 1. PURPOSE

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Transition to Mutual Recognition Licensing

The bill shifts Pennsylvania from a single-state licensure model to a mutual recognition compact model for professional counselors.

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors

Connected Entities

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors and 2 more

OrganizationFederal Bureau of Investigation“Conducts criminal background checks for applicants.”Map →

locationCommonwealth of Pennsylvania“The state adopting the Counseling Compact legislation.”Map →

OrganizationState Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors“The Pennsylvania board responsible for implementing the act and issuing compact ”Map →

OrganizationNational Practitioners Data Bank“Repository where encumbered licenses are reported.”Map →

OrganizationCounseling Compact Commission“The national administrative body established by the compact.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.palegis.us

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
Controversy15
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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What This Bill Proposed

Who It Would Have Affected

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Meeting to consider SB 331 and SB 571; and HB 78, HB 80, HB 482, HB 554, HB 668 and HB 1961

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history & redline

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Discoveries

Transition to Mutual Recognition Licensing

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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