HR 658 United States House · 119th Congress

To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration.

HR 658 amends veterans' healthcare law to set specific qualifications for marriage and family therapists working in the Veterans Health Administration who provide clinical supervision. It requires therapists to meet existing qualifications (subparagraph A) and either hold state authorization for clinical supervision in their state or be designated as an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). This directly affects therapists seeking VA appointments who wish to supervise other clinicians. The bill creates two clear pathways for eligibility, replacing previous unspecified requirements. The change applies only to VA healthcare settings, not private practice.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
President
Introduced Jan 23, 2025 Last action Feb 3, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced in House Engrossed in House · 2 edits · Feb 2, 2026
MINOR
The bill removed the option for a person to qualify for clinical supervision by being designated as an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). It replaced that with a single, broader state-based requirement: the person must be recognized by the relevant state as a provider of, or otherwise allowed by that state to provide, clinical supervision. This shifts authority entirely to the states and eliminates the role of a national professional association in determining eligibility.
ELIGIBILITY

The alternative pathway of being designated as an approved supervisor by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) was eliminated as a qualifying route for clinical supervision.

The state-based requirement was broadened from 'authorized to provide clinical supervision' to 'recognized by the State as a provider of, or otherwise allowed by such State to provide, clinical supervision,' which is more flexible language that could cover a wider range of state-level permissions.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
5
Committee
7
Amendments
2
Feb 3, 2026
Committee
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1932)
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1932)
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
Mr. Bost moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
lower
May 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 119-99.
lower
May 6, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
lower
Mar 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Committee
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
lower
Jan 23, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors