Senate panel advances bill to require 48 graduate credits for school counselor licensure

The Colorado Senate Education Committee on Tuesday advanced Senate Bill 153, a measure that would require a minimum of 48 graduate semester credit hours for school counselor licensure in Colorado.

Sponsor Senator Kolker introduced the bill, saying the change responds to a recent State Board of Education rulemaking that eliminated a prior minimum (60 credits) and left the state without a clear floor for counselor preparation. Kolker said the 48-credit standard would align Colorado with common graduate training benchmarks and ensure candidates receive coursework in counseling practices, student development, crisis response and risk awareness.

The bill drew consistent support from school counselors, educator groups and university programs during the committee hearing. "While school counselors do not provide therapy, we are often the first and sometimes only mental health support available to students," testified Gwen Husich, a licensed school counselor and assistant chair of the Colorado Schools Counseling Association. Liz Waddick, vice president of the Colorado Education Association, told senators counselors are "on the front lines" for students' academic and mental-health needs and urged the committee not to lower entry standards.

Colleen Staublebski, who chairs a school counseling program at Adams State University, described 48 credits as a balanced, evidence-based floor and warned programs below that level risk leaving graduates unprepared for crisis response, classroom lesson planning and other school-specific duties. Staublebski also noted the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) recently expanded preparation standards from seven to 19, reflecting greater expectations for training.

Multiple witnesses highlighted challenges in rural districts but said staffing shortages are driven more by housing, pay and retention than by licensure rules. Sadie Miller, a rural counselor, described difficulties finding affordable housing and local supports but said she preferred higher preparation rather than an underqualified hire.

After closing remarks and a motion from the sponsor to advance the bill to the committee of the whole with a favorable recommendation, the committee clerk polled members; the motion passed 6-0 with one senator recorded as excused. The committee chair placed the bill on the consent calendar, and the committee adjourned.

The committee hearing record includes testimony from school counselors, university program directors and union representatives who urged a consistent minimum to protect student safety and counseling quality. The next procedural step is consideration by the committee of the whole, per the favorable recommendation voted Wednesday.

Quotes and attributions in this article are drawn from the committee hearing transcript and a letter read into the record by the sponsor from a member of the Colorado State Board of Education urging support for the bill.