An act relating to prescribing by doctoral-level psychologists

The definition of 'collaborating practitioner' was narrowed from any prescribing provider approved by the Board who treats mental health conditions to only a physician with a specialty in psychiatry.

Prescriptive authority was limited to diagnosing, treating, or managing conditions recognized in the DSM, and explicit exclusions were added for patients under 18, over 80, or pregnant.

Training requirements changed from two years of supervised practice at 20+ hours per week to clinical rotations totaling at least 14 months across at least nine specific practice settings including psychiatry, pediatrics, geriatrics, family or internal medicine, emergency medicine, and neurology.

The effective date for the main prescribing provisions was delayed from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2029, giving an additional three years before psychologists can begin prescribing.

A new report requirement was added requiring the Office of Professional Regulation to submit a written report to legislative committees by November 15, 2032 on the number of prescribing psychologists, availability of collaborative practitioners, and whether qualification updates are needed.

The Board's rulemaking authority was expanded to specifically include designating conditions and drugs excluded from prescriptive authority and setting requirements for prescribing particular drugs.

The definition of 'drug' changed from a mental-health-specific definition (agent related to diagnosis, treatment, or management of mental, nervous, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or substance misuse disorders) to a cross-reference to section 2022, which likely has a broader pharmaceutical meaning.

The definition of 'collaborating practitioner' was broadened from only psychiatrists (physicians with a specialty in psychiatry) to any prescribing provider approved by the Board who generally prescribes for mental health conditions. This significantly widens the pool of potential collaborators for prescribing psychologists.

In Section 3019(b)(2), the language changed from 'shall only include' to 'may only include' regarding what prescriptive authority a collaborating practitioner can issue, giving slightly more discretion. The age and pregnancy restrictions (under 18, 80 or older, pregnant) were added here as explicit exclusions that were previously in the definition section.

The definition of 'drug' was changed from a cross-reference to section 2022 (which covers all drugs) to a narrower definition limited to agents related to the diagnosis, treatment, or management of mental, nervous, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or substance misuse disorders.

The definition of 'prescriptive authority' was simplified: the limitation to conditions recognized in the DSM was removed, and the age/pregnancy restrictions were moved out of the definition into Section 3019(b)(2) where they now appear as explicit exclusions.

The training requirement was substantially changed. The unofficial version required clinical rotations of at least 14 months across at least nine specific practice settings (psychiatry, pediatrics, geriatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, OB/GYN, surgery, and one elective). The official version replaces this with two years of supervised practice at not less than 20 hours per week in a clinical setting agreed upon by the psychologist and collaborating practitioner. Additionally, 'designated by' the APA was changed to 'accredited by' the APA, and training may now occur during the doctoral program or in accredited undergraduate or master-level programs.

The Board's rulemaking authority under Section 3009a was simplified. The unofficial version specified that rules must address settings of clinical rotations and designation of conditions and drugs excluded from prescriptive authority. The official version uses broader language: 'the length of clinical rotations, appropriate instructional settings, and prescribing authority.'

The term 'prescribing psychologist specialty' was changed to 'prescribing psychologist license' in several places, including the section heading of 3019(a) and references throughout the bill.

The definition of 'collaborating practitioner' was narrowed from any physician or other Board-approved prescribing provider to specifically a physician with a specialty in psychiatry. This significantly limits who can serve as the supervising collaborator for prescribing psychologists.

Clinical training requirements changed from two years of supervised practice at 20 hours per week in a single agreed-upon setting to 14 months of clinical rotations across at least five specified practice settings (psychiatry, geriatrics, family or internal medicine, emergency medicine, and neurology). The total duration is shorter but the breadth of required experience is greater.

The Board's rulemaking authority now explicitly includes setting minimum requirements for the curriculum of a postdoctoral psychopharmacology program, which was not specified in the House version.

Effective dates were delayed substantially: Board rulemaking authority moved from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026, and all remaining provisions (including the prescribing specialty itself) moved from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2029 - a three-year delay for the core functionality of the bill.

A new Section 4 requires the Office of Professional Regulation to submit a written report to both legislative health committees by November 15, 2032, covering the number of prescribing psychologists, availability of collaborative practitioners, and whether qualification updates are needed to expand access while ensuring public protection.

The definition of 'prescriptive authority' was expanded to explicitly limit prescribing to conditions recognized in the DSM and to embed the patient restrictions (under 18, over 80, or pregnant) directly into the definition rather than leaving them in the prescribing criteria section.

The definition of 'collaborating practitioner' was narrowed from any physician or other prescribing provider approved by the Board to only a physician with a specialty in psychiatry. This is a major restriction on who can partner with prescribing psychologists.

The age and pregnancy restrictions (no prescribing for patients under 18, over 80, or pregnant) were moved from the criteria section into the definition of 'prescriptive authority' itself, making them a built-in limitation rather than a separate condition. The language also shifted from '80 years of age or older' to 'over 80 years of age.'

A new definition for 'DSM' (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders current at the time of practice) was added, which now anchors the scope of prescriptive authority to conditions recognized in that manual.

The definition of 'drug' was changed from a broad description (agent related to diagnosis, treatment, or management of mental, nervous, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or substance misuse disorder) to a cross-reference to section 2022 of title 26, aligning it with the existing controlled substances statute.

The training requirement changed from two years of supervised practice at 20 hours per week in a setting agreed upon by the psychologist and collaborating practitioner, to clinical rotations totaling at least 14 months across at least nine specified settings including psychiatry, pediatrics, geriatrics, family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, and one elective.

Prescriptive authority is now limited to 'solely for the purpose of diagnosing, treating, or managing a condition recognized in the DSM,' adding a scope limitation that was not in the introduced version.

The Board's rulemaking powers were expanded to explicitly include designation of conditions and drugs excluded from prescriptive authority, as well as requirements for prescribing particular drugs. This gives the Board more granular control over what psychologists can prescribe.

The postdoctoral training program requirement changed from being 'accredited by' the American Psychological Association to being 'designated by' the APA, which may reflect a different relationship between the APA and the training programs.