SB 153: Licensed School Counselor Credit Hour Requirements - Colorado

Rerevised → Final Act · 3 edits · Apr 22, 2026

MINOR

This bill amends Colorado's school counselor licensing laws to clarify and enforce minimum educational standards. It ensures that anyone seeking a school counselor endorsement must hold a master's degree specifically in school counseling with at least 48 graduate credit hours from an accredited institution. The changes remove previous ambiguities regarding degree requirements and explicitly state that these specific criteria are mandatory for licensure.

Scope change

The bill narrows the scope of eligibility by adding a specific major requirement ('in school counseling') and a minimum credit hour threshold (48 hours) that was previously less clearly defined in the statute.

ELIGIBILITY

Amended the statutory requirement for a school counselor license to explicitly mandate a master's degree in school counseling with a minimum of 48 graduate semester credit hours from an accredited institution.

REQUIREMENT

Added legislative declarations emphasizing the need for comprehensive graduate preparation to address rising student behavioral health needs and ensure counselors have the necessary skills for crisis intervention and student support.

TECHNICAL

Removed the original bill summary and preliminary reading dates, replacing them with final act formatting and signatures of legislative officers and the Governor.

Revised → Rerevised · 4 edits · Apr 21, 2026

MODERATE

The bill text was updated to reflect a 'Rerevised' status, indicating that all amendments adopted by the Senate have been fully incorporated. Additionally, the list of House sponsors was expanded to include several new legislators, reflecting changes in the bill's sponsorship during the legislative process.

Scope change

No substantive changes to the bill's scope, applicability, or policy content were identified in the provided text; the changes are administrative and procedural.

TECHNICAL

The version header was changed from 'REVISED' to 'REREVISED' to indicate the inclusion of all Senate amendments.

A new line was added stating '3rd Reading Unamended' with a date of April 21, 2026.

The list of House sponsors was updated to include Clifford, Duran, Garcia, Goldstein, Hamrick, Jackson, Lindsay, McCluskie, McCormick, Nguyen, Phillips, Rydin, and Stewart K.

The line 'Bacon and Martinez,' was removed from the House sponsorship list, likely as a formatting correction or data entry fix.

Reengrossed → Revised · 3 edits · Apr 17, 2026

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LLS No. 26-0935.01 to SB 26-153 and its title was shortened to remove the phrase 'AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, ESTABLISHING A MINIMUM NUMBER OF CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED FOR SPECIAL SERVICES LICENSURE WITH A SCHOOL.' The most significant substantive change is the removal of the 'Safety clause' (Section 3), which previously declared the act necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health, or safety. This deletion means the bill no longer carries the specific legal weight of an emergency measure, though the core requirement for 48 graduate semester credit hours for school counselor licensure remains intact.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the 48-credit hour requirement for school counselors remains unchanged; however, the legal urgency previously established by the Safety clause has been removed.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed the Safety clause (Section 3) that declared the act necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health, or safety.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill identifier from LLS No. 26-0935.01 to SB 26-153 and updated the version header from 'REENGROSSED' to 'REVISED'.

Shortened the bill title by removing the clause regarding the establishment of minimum credit hours for special services licensure.

Engrossed → Reengrossed · 3 edits · Apr 9, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reengrossed to include additional Senate sponsors and updated the bill summary to reflect that it has passed third reading in the House of Introduction. The summary date was updated to April 9, 2026, and the status was changed from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' to track the legislative process accurately.

TECHNICAL

Added five new Senate sponsors (Coleman, Cutter, Frizell, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Lindstedt, Marchman, Rodriguez, Sullivan, Wallace) to the bill's sponsorship list.

Updated the bill summary header to indicate the bill is 'Reengrossed' and includes all amendments adopted in the House of Introduction, rather than just amendments adopted on second reading.

TIMELINE

Added a specific date (April 9, 2026) to the bill summary indicating when the third reading occurred in the Senate.

Introduced → Engrossed · 2 edits · Apr 8, 2026

MINOR

The bill has been reclassified from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed,' indicating it has passed the Senate and incorporates all amendments from the House. A new date, April 8, 2026, was added to the document header, likely marking a significant deadline or effective date for the legislation. The substantive text regarding school counselor licensing requirements remains unchanged in the provided excerpt.

Scope change

The bill's scope is now defined as 'Engrossed,' meaning it includes all amendments adopted during the legislative process and is ready for the final stage of enactment.

TIMELINE

Added the date 'April 8, 2026' to the document header, which may represent a specific deadline, effective date, or reporting milestone for the new school counselor licensing provisions.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' and updated the bill number formatting in the page headers to reflect the final version with all amendments included.

Licensed School Counselor Credit Hour Requirements

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