§ 3–1202.13. Board of Professional Counseling.

(a) There is established a Board of Professional Counseling to consist of 5 members appointed by the Mayor; except, that from July 19, 2024, the Board shall consist of 7 members appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council.

(b) The Board shall regulate the practices of professional counseling, professional art therapy, addiction counseling, dance therapy, and marriage and family therapy.

(c) Members of the Board shall serve a 3-year term. Of the members first appointed to the Board, one member shall be appointed to a one-year term, 2 members shall be appointed to a 2-year term, and 2 members shall be appointed to a 3-year term.

(d) Of the members of the Board, 2 shall be professional counselors licensed in the District, one shall be an educator engaged in teaching counseling, one shall be a professional art therapist, one shall be a consumer member, and one shall have at least 5 years of experience in the field of addiction counseling; except, that from July 19, 2024, of the members of the Board:

(1) Three shall be professional counselors licensed in the District;

(2) One shall be a professional art therapist licensed in the District;

(3) One shall be a marriage and family therapist licensed in the District;

(4) One shall be a professional counselor, a professional art therapist, a marriage and family therapist, or an addiction counselor licensed or certified in the District; and

(5) One shall be a consumer member; provided further, that of the members who are licensed professional counselors, one shall be an educator engaged in teaching counseling and one shall have at least 3 years of experience in the field of addiction counseling.

(Mar. 25, 1986, D.C. Law 6-99, § 213; as added July 22, 1992, D.C. Law 9-126, § 2(d), 39 DCR 3824; July 7, 2009, D.C. Law 18-13, § 2(c), 56 DCR 3608; June 24, 2020, D.C. Law 23-115, § 2(c), 67 DCR 5077; July 19, 2024, D.C. Law 25-191, § 101(o), 71 DCR 6698.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 2-3302.13.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 1-523.01.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 18-13 rewrote subsec. (b); and, in subsec. (d), substituted “one shall be a consumer member, and one shall have at least 5 years of experience in the field of addiction counseling” for “and 1 shall be a consumer member”. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “(b) The Board shall regulate the practice of professional counseling.”

Applicability

Section 7081 of D.C. Law 23-149 repealed section 3 of D.C. Law 23-115 removing the applicability provision impacting this section. Therefore, the amendment of this section by Law 23-115 has been implemented.

Applicability of D.C. Law 23-115: § 3 of D.C. Law 23-115 provided that the change made to this section by § 2(c) of D.C. Law 23-115 is subject to the inclusion of the law’s fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. Therefore that amendment has not been implemented.