Relating to art therapy; and prescribing an effective date.
HB 3761 creates a new provisional license category for art therapists in Oregon and updates the state’s existing art therapy licensing framework. The bill authorizes the Health Licensing Office to issue a provisional licensed art therapist credential to applicants who are at least 18, hold a qualifying master’s degree, meet board-recognized provisional registration requirements, are supervised by a qualified supervisor, are in good standing in other states where they practice, and pay a fee. A provisional licensee may later apply for full licensure after completing two years of supervised mental health practice and meeting additional office rules.
The bill also revises definitions and practice rules for art therapy, clarifying the scope of practice, title protections, and when art therapists may administer assessments or testing. It requires the Health Licensing Office to adopt rules for licensure, fees, reciprocity, public license records, and professional and ethical standards. In addition, HB 3761 directs the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to reimburse behavioral health services provided by licensed art therapists, licensed certified art therapists, and provisional licensed art therapists under the state medical assistance program, with the reimbursement mandate tied to the bill’s operative date.
HB 3761 amends ORS 681.740, 681.743, 681.746, 681.749, 681.752, and 681.758 and adds new provisions to Oregon’s art therapy licensing laws, while also adding a reimbursement requirement in ORS chapter 414 for Medicaid-related behavioral health services. The bill expands the regulated categories of practitioners to include provisional licensed art therapists, establishes a pathway from provisional status to full licensure, and requires state agencies to create rules, records, and standards for the profession. It also affects the Oregon Health Authority, coordinated care organizations, and the state medical assistance program by requiring payment for covered behavioral health services delivered by these providers.
The bill appears to have received generally favorable support, passing both chambers with clear majorities and committee recommendations for do pass. The House committee vote was unanimous, and the floor votes in both chambers were positive, though not unanimous, indicating some reservations but no broad opposition. The overall pattern suggests the measure was viewed as a professional licensing and access-to-care bill with enough support to advance comfortably.
The main points of potential contention are the creation of a new provisional license category, the scope of authority given to provisional and licensed art therapists, and the requirement that Medicaid and coordinated care organizations reimburse their services. Some lawmakers may have been concerned about expanding reimbursement obligations or about whether the bill sufficiently protects patients through supervision, training, and limits on psychological testing. The recorded floor opposition in both chambers suggests there were at least some concerns, likely around regulatory expansion, scope of practice, or fiscal impact, even though the bill ultimately passed.