Relating to licensure and certification of alcohol and drug counselors
SB 897 creates a new article in the West Virginia Code establishing a state licensure and certification system for alcohol and drug counselors. It defines the scope of practice for counseling related to substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders, sets education, training, supervised experience, and examination requirements for both licensed and certified counselors, and limits private practice to licensed counselors or certified counselors working under supervision. The bill also authorizes the Bureau for Behavioral Health to issue licenses and certifications, collect fees, renew credentials, and adopt rules to administer the program.
The bill includes several transition provisions to recognize existing practitioners. It “grandfathers” certain current substance abuse counselors certified by the West Virginia Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals into the new licensure or certification categories based on education, experience, and examination status, and allows temporary substitution of existing certification for applicants before July 1, 2027. It also provides endorsement for out-of-state credentials if standards are substantially similar, and exempts several groups from the new requirements, including other licensed health professionals, students in supervised training, certain state-employed rehabilitation counselors, and some supervised or self-help settings. The Bureau for Behavioral Health must be fully able to administer the program by July 1, 2027, and the act takes effect 90 days after passage.
SB 897 adds a new regulatory framework to Title 16 governing alcohol and drug counseling in West Virginia. It creates protected titles, establishes who may practice and who may engage in private practice, sets disciplinary authority and rulemaking responsibilities, and shifts administration to the Bureau for Behavioral Health within the Department of Human Services. The bill affects current counselors, new applicants, employers, training programs, and out-of-state practitioners seeking recognition in West Virginia, while preserving certain existing roles through grandfathering and exemptions.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate 31-0, the House 92-0, and the Senate’s concurrence vote 32-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The available record does not include committee debate, but the voting history suggests the measure was viewed favorably as a professional licensing and public-health regulation bill.
No major controversy is evident in the available materials. The main policy questions embedded in the bill concern how strict the new licensure standards should be, how much weight to give existing credentials and experience during the transition, and how broadly to exempt other health professionals and supervised settings. The grandfathering provisions and the July 1, 2027 implementation deadline suggest an effort to balance workforce continuity with new credentialing standards, but no recorded opposition or disputed amendments are available in the provided context.