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2026 Annual MMHCA Legislative Survey

MMHCA Annual Survey - Missouri Chapter

MMHCA is seeking information from trained mental health professionals who are licensed to inform advocacy processes, chapter services, and perceptions of existing and pending laws at the State level. The information you provide will inform board and committee decision making for the 2024-2025 fiscal year and 2025 Legislative Session.
1.In 2025, Senate Bill 285 was proposed. This bill states, "SB 285 - Under this act, any licensed psychologist, behavior analyst, professional counselor, social worker, or marital and family therapist may have his or her application for licensure or renewal denied or may have a complaint filed with the Administrative Hearing Commission, if such person engages in conversion therapy with a minor. The term "conversion therapy" shall mean any practice or treatment intended to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity."

Do you support this bill or oppose this bill based on what is currently proposed?
2.Senate Bill 441 was proposed in 2024, MMHCA opposed this bill during the legislative cycle because it would create a public record of professional counselors private/personal addresses.

The bill is written as, "SB 441 - This act provides that the Executive Director of the Committee for Professional Counselors ("Committee"), rather than the Committee, shall issue a license to each person who files an application, pays the application fee, and provides satisfactory evidence regarding lack of criminal or disciplinary actions along with compliance with the law regarding licensure of professional counselors and the passage of an examination on professional counseling in this state. The Committee shall review and approve or deny all applications for which licenses were not authorized to be issued by the Executive Director. Additionally, this act provides that the Committee shall display the name, address, license number, and license status for each licensee of any license type on the Division of Professional Registration's searchable listing of licensees."

MMHCA is asking that the SB be changed to protect provider personal addresses. Do you agree with how MMHCA is legislating this bill?
3.The Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP) in Missouri offers forgivable loans for the repayment of existing educational-related loans for health care, mental health, and public health professionals. Eligible awardees may receive up to $65,000 to be paid toward their qualifying educational debt. The program requires a minimum 2-year service obligation in an underserved area, such as a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Applications for the HPLRP will be accepted from September 1 through November 1, 2025.

SB 635 - This act modifies the "Health Professional Student Loan Repayment Program" to be the "Missouri Student Loan Repayment Program" or "MOSLRP". MOSLRP shall be for persons who practice in areas of defined need after graduating from an accredited graduate training program in the following disciplines: allopathic medical doctor, osteopathic medical doctor, general dentist, dental hygienist, registered nurse, physician assistant, psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, marital and family therapist, or pharmacist. MOSLRP shall not include chiropractic college graduates, unlike the current "Health Professional Student Loan Repayment Program". The standards the Department of Health and Senior Services may establish shall not include enrollment as a full-time student in certain courses of study as in the current program but shall include authorization to practice certain types of health professions.

Do you agree that MMHCA should support this bill?
4.Senate Bill 695 establishes "Brennan's Law" and modifies and repeals provisions relating to mental health efforts in public schools.

Beginning in the 2026-27 school year and continuing in subsequent school years, the act requires school districts to provide at least two hours of suicide prevention training to all licensed educators. Such training shall include risk and protective factors, warning signs, response procedures, and postvention support, as the term "postvention" is defined in the act. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall include such information in its guidelines for training or professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention.

The act repeals provisions requiring public schools and charter schools that serve pupils in grades 7-12 and that issue pupil identification cards to print certain information on such identification cards by July 1, 2025. By July 1, 2026, such identification cards shall include the three-digit dialing code for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988. This provision contains an emergency clause (Section B).

For the 2027-28 school year and all subsequent school years, each school district shall update its policy on youth suicide awareness and prevention training for school district employees to include risk and protective factors, warning signs, response procedures, and postvention support, as defined in the act. The corresponding model policy currently developed by DESE shall be updated accordingly.

Finally, the act establishes "Brennan's Law", which requires each pupil in a public school to receive mental health awareness training at any time in grades 5-8. Such instruction shall be included in the school district's existing health or physical education curriculum and shall be based on a program established by DESE.

Should MMHCA endorse this bill or oppose this bill?
5.If Medicaid would improve their process for credentialing for LPC providers would you be willing to credential with Medicaid and provide therapy services under Medicaid insurances?
6.The identification of "identity" as connected to minors is a common theme in legislative movements during the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Legislative Sessions. The term identity, as defined in legislature focuses primarily on the LBTQIA+ population. As a mental health counselor, we often work with individuals being impacted by these laws. Have you conducted any work in the last three years (2023-2025) where clients were focused on legislative movements and the impact it was having on their daily living?
7.The Federal Bill, H.R.3760 is designed to amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act. This amendment is being reviewed by the Subcommittee for Health. This act reads that it aims to strengthen the mental health workforce by changing the rules for student loan relief with the following criteria:

1. You must be a mental or behavioral health professions degree or certificate at a minority-serving institution of higher education.

2. Physicians must also provide mental and behavioral health services for five consecutive years while working either (1) as solo practitioners where at least 30% of patients receive Medicaid and at least 50% of patients are members of racial and ethnic minority groups; or (2) at institutions that accept Medicaid and where at least 50% of patients served by the institution are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Do you agree with this amendment change?
8.In reviewing, Federal Bill, H.R.3760 - To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act (Question 8), do you agree that only mental health professionals working in specific populations should qualify for student loan relief? OR, do you believe that ALL mental health professionals should qualify for relief based on the nature of the work, the national shortage for professionals, and the inability to control what organizations offer as far as treatment services and integration.
9.MO Senate Bill 397 from the 2023 House Session did not pass but was put to committee by creating the "Dialectical Behavior Therapy Task Force." This task force is reviewing the proposed bill and will be establishing legislature around how DBT is executed in the State of Missouri. It is unknown what the outcome will be or how this will be managed within the State. The bill was first introduced in 2022 and remains active in progress and processes within the Senate and House. Do you believe DBT service integration should be regulated in Missouri by the integrated use of both judicial law and monitoring of service integration by State officials?
10.Do you believe the State of Missouri should enact an expanded Supervision Training that would create expanded education for therapists who have been licensed over five years?