Provides for the licensing of genetic counselors; creates the state board for genetic counseling.
S03029 would create a new licensed profession for genetic counselors in New York and add a new Article 142 to the Education Law. The bill defines the practice of genetic counseling as educating and communicating with clients, families, other health care professionals, and the public about genetic testing, family history, hereditary conditions, and related risk assessment. It also sets out core duties such as collecting and evaluating medical and family histories, educating clients about risk management, ordering or coordinating genetic tests and diagnostic studies, interpreting results, and documenting services.
The bill establishes licensure requirements, including a qualifying master’s degree or equivalent, acceptable experience, passage of an exam, minimum age, good moral character, and payment of licensing and renewal fees. It also creates a seven-member State Board for Genetic Counseling to advise on licensing and professional conduct, authorizes limited permits for applicants still completing requirements, and provides transitional pathways for certain already-certified or long-practicing genetic counselors to obtain a license without repeating all requirements. The bill expressly limits the profession so that genetic counselors may not diagnose or treat disease, prescribe drugs, perform invasive procedures, or provide psychotherapy, and requires referral to a physician or other licensed professional when a condition needing medical assessment is identified.
The bill would amend the Education Law by adding a new licensed profession and regulatory structure for genetic counselors, bringing them under the state’s professional licensing framework. It would give the State Education Department authority to issue licenses and limited permits, recognize certain out-of-state or nationally certified practitioners through transitional provisions, and set fees and renewal rules. It would also clarify the scope of practice and exempt certain other licensed professionals, students in supervised training, and specified public-health or counseling roles from the new licensing requirements.
The available voting record shows strong and unanimous support in the Senate, with committee votes of 11-0 and floor votes of 60-0 in 2025 and 59-0 in 2026. That pattern suggests the bill was broadly viewed as a technical professional licensure measure rather than a controversial policy change. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate significant opposition or divided sentiment.
No major contention is evident in the provided materials. The main policy choices embedded in the bill are the scope of practice, the licensure standards, and the transitional exemptions for existing practitioners, but the unanimous votes suggest these provisions did not generate visible disagreement in the Senate. The bill also carefully preserves the authority of physicians and other licensed health professionals by prohibiting genetic counselors from diagnosing, treating, prescribing, or performing invasive procedures, which may have helped limit concerns about overlap with other professions.