Committee hears bill to ease licensure portability for marriage and family therapists

Sen. Grama presented Senate File 47‑46 to reduce licensing barriers for qualified marriage and family therapists trained and licensed in other states. Leah Seager, president of the Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, told the committee the bill removes the current five‑year waiting period and the "equivalent or substantially similar" experience requirement, putting reciprocity criteria into statute and requiring only a valid unrestricted out‑of‑state MFT license, good standing, a background check and completion of Minnesota jurisprudence.

Seager said 14 other states already use comparable licensure‑portability approaches and that the change would increase access to mental‑health care without lowering Minnesota standards. She said the Board of Marriage and Family Therapy reviewed the proposal and a board member present stated neutrality. With no questions from members, the committee laid the bill over for further consideration.