INDEPENDENT REGULATORY REVIEW COMMISSION Notice of Comments Issued [31 Pa.B. 6249] Section 5(d) of the Regulatory Review Act (71 P. S. § 745.5(d)) provides that the designated standing committees may issue comments within 20 days of the close of the public comment period, and the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (Commission) may issue comments within 10 days of the close of the committee comment period. The Commission comments are based upon the criteria contained in section 5.1(h) and (i) of the Act (71 P. S. § 745.5a(h) and (i)).
The Commission has issued comments on the following proposed regulation. The agency must consider these comments in preparing the final-form regulation. The final-form regulation must be submitted by the date indicated.
Final-Form Submission
Reg No. Agency/Title Issued Deadline 16A-695 State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors
Fees10/25/01 09/24/03 (31 Pa.B. 4651 (August 25, 2001))
State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Regulation No. 16A-695 Fees October 25, 2001 We submit for consideration the following objections and recommendations regarding this regulation. Each objection or recommendation includes a reference to the criteria in the Regulatory Review Act (71 P. S. § 745.5a(h) and (i)) which have not been met. The State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (Board) must respond to these Comments when it submits the final-form regulation. If the final-form regulation is not delivered by September 24, 2003, the regulation will be deemed withdrawn.
1. Section 47.4. Licensure fees.--Need; Clarity.
The House Professional Licensure Committee questioned why the Board did not delete the fee relating to the 1988 to 1991 licensure cycle. Is this fee needed?
2. Sections 48.4 and 49.3. Applicability of General Provisions in Chapter 47.--Need; Clarity.
These provisions require registration of continuing education providers, courses and programs under Section 47.34. However, there currently is no continuing education requirement for licensed Marriage and Family Therapists or Professional Counselors. If the Board intends to require continuing education for licensees under Chapters 48 and 49 in the future, that requirement would require another rulemaking.
The Board should consider deleting the course registration provisions from this rulemaking. Instead, the Board should promulgate continuing education requirements and registration of course providers together in a future rulemaking. This would allow affected parties to consider the full implications of these requirements.
JOHN R. MCGINLEY, Jr.,
Chairperson[Pa.B. Doc. No. 01-2029. Filed for public inspection November 9, 2001, 9:00 a.m.]
