HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3339        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 455

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Jon Santiago

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to Division of Professional Licensure demographics reporting.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3339        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 455

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to Division of Professional Licensure demographics reporting.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Chapter 13, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 109 the following new section: -

Section 110. The division of professional licensure shall collect and publish on an annual basis the demographic data of applicants for initial licensure and renewal of licensure in professions that provide mental health and addiction treatment. At a minimum, the division of professional licensure shall report data from the following boards of registration:

(a)  Board of registration in social work;

(b)  Board of registration in the allied mental health and human services professions; and

(c)  Board of registration of psychologists.

The boards of registration shall collect the following information for each applicant:

(a)  Race;

(b)  Ethnicity;

(c)  Language (primary and secondary);

(d)  Gender;

(e)  Gender Expression;

(f)   County(ies) where applicant intends to practice or currently practices;

(g)  School where master’s degree was conferred;

(h)  Years of prior experience in the field of behavioral health;

(i)Jurisdictions where currently or previously licensed;

(j)Application decision;

a. If application resulted in denial, the division shall report reason(s) for denial;

(k)   Speed of application decision.

The division of professional licensure shall publish this data in aggregate form no later than 90 days after the close of the fiscal year. Published data shall be available in searchable, sortable format to allow for the cross-tabulation of statistical variables.

The division of professional licensure shall complete all obligations under this section within six months of enactment of this section.