Pennsylvania Senate Bill SB1243

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/23/26
• Refer: 3/23/26

Caption

Further providing for definitions, for State Board of Psychology and for powers of the board; providing for prescription certificate, for prescribing and administrative practices and for controlled substances; and further providing for refusal, suspension or revocation of license, for reporting of multiple licensure and for penalties and injunctions against unlawful practice.

Summary

SB1243 would amend Pennsylvania’s Professional Psychologists Practice Act to create a framework for “prescribing psychologists” in the Commonwealth. The bill adds definitions for terms such as prescription certificate, prescriptive authority, psychotropic medication, collaborative relationship, telemedicine, and controlled substances, and it expands the State Board of Psychology from nine to eleven members, including at least two prescribing psychologists. It also updates the board’s powers to include oversight of prescribing psychologists and maintenance of a list of those authorized to prescribe. The core of the bill establishes a prescription certificate process for licensed psychologists who want authority to prescribe psychotropic medication. To qualify, an applicant must hold a doctoral psychology license, complete an approved master’s degree in clinical psychopharmacology, finish supervised clinical practical experience, pass a national certification exam, maintain liability insurance, and meet board fees and other requirements. The bill also allows out-of-state prescribing psychologists and certain military-trained applicants to seek certification if their training is deemed equivalent, with possible supplemental education or clinical experience required. SB1243 authorizes prescribing psychologists to prescribe and administer psychotropic medication, order and review laboratory tests, and use telemedicine for prescribing, but it places limits on that authority. Prescribing psychologists must maintain an ongoing collaborative relationship with the patient’s primary care provider, obtain patient authorization to contact that provider, and cannot prescribe narcotics except for certain FDA-approved opioid antagonists or partial agonists used for addiction treatment. The bill also requires specific recordkeeping, DEA registration reporting for controlled substances, and continuing education beyond the psychologist license renewal requirements. The bill would also revise disciplinary and enforcement provisions to apply to prescribing psychologists, including grounds for refusal, suspension, revocation, and civil or criminal penalties for unlawful practice. It updates reporting rules for psychologists who hold multiple licenses in other jurisdictions and preserves the board’s authority to seek injunctions against unlicensed practice. The State Board of Psychology would be required to promulgate implementing regulations within one year, with the rest of the act taking effect 60 days after enactment. No committee transcript or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded discussion or roll-call sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears policy-driven and regulatory in nature, with a clear intent to expand access to mental health medication management while preserving physician collaboration and board oversight. Likely points of contention would include whether psychologists should be allowed to prescribe at all, the adequacy of the training and supervision requirements, the scope of telemedicine prescribing, and the limits on controlled substances and narcotics.

Impact

SB1243 would significantly expand the Professional Psychologists Practice Act by creating a new category of licensed psychologist with prescriptive authority and by adding a new certification structure administered by the State Board of Psychology. It would affect the licensing, discipline, and oversight of psychologists, while also touching controlled-substance law, telemedicine practice, and coordination with primary care providers. The bill would likely affect psychologists, patients receiving mental health treatment, primary care providers, and the board’s regulatory workload.

Sentiment

No votes or committee discussion were provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from the legislative record included here. On its face, the bill reflects a supportive posture toward expanding mental health treatment access through prescribing psychologists, but it also includes substantial safeguards, suggesting an attempt to balance access with patient safety and professional oversight. The structure of the bill indicates likely interest from mental health advocates and prescribing-psychology proponents, alongside caution from medical or licensing stakeholders concerned about scope of practice.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely to be scope-of-practice and patient-safety issues. Opponents may question whether psychologists should prescribe psychotropic medication, whether the training requirements are sufficient, and whether telemedicine prescribing and limited narcotic authority are appropriate. Supporters are likely to emphasize improved access to behavioral health care, especially in underserved areas, and the bill’s safeguards such as supervised training, board certification, liability insurance, collaborative relationships with primary care providers, and restrictions on narcotics and controlled substances.