Couch to Capitol: August 2026 Legislative Updates

We’d love to hear from our listeners!

In our August Couch to Capitol Episode, Lauren Collins-Knight, MA, LPCC breaks down ongoing legislation at the state and federal levels that may be helpful for counselors to keep an eye on. While the legislators are on break, that doesn’t mean our advocacy needs to be put on hold. Listen on to stay informed and involved with ongoing OCA advocacy efforts! 

State Level

• SB 274/HB 172 - Prohibiting mental health care of minors without parental consent (OPPOSE) Share written testimony with OCA’s Government Relations Committee via email at charles.potter@mindfully.com
• HB 724 - Mental Health Wellness Checks (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 327 - Parents Pride Act (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 300 - Prohibiting conversion therapy (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 220 - Prior Authorizations (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 716 - All Claims Payer Database (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HB 346 - "V.J.'s Law" OCA is working to better understand this proposed bill and its implications for Ohio counselors. We encourage you to contact OCA’s Government Relations Committee if you would like your voice to be heard. 
• HB 525 - Regards Use of Artificial Intelligence in Therapy Services (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 

Federal Level

• S.4407 - CHATBOT ACT (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• SB 4202 Mental Health Access and Provider Support Act of 2026 (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• HR 7324 The More Behavioral Health Providers Act (SUPPORT) Urge your Ohio representatives to cosponsor the More Behavioral Health Providers Act today via NBCC. 
• HR 7394 The Mental Health Career Promotion Act (SUPPORT) Contact your state rep to prioritize this bill when session resumes. 
• Multiple Threats to Counselor Workforce Development (OPPOSE)

Other

• GRC Town Hall - registration open now for August 28th virtual town hall from 12-1pm
• OCA Lunch & Learns - registration open now for September 4th virtual Lunch & Learn from 12-1pm
• AOCC - early bird registration available until October 7th 
  
  

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• Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee 
  Hosted by Lauren Collins-Knight
  Pre-Production & Coordination by Lauren Collins-Knight, Victoria Frazier, Mariah Payne, and Dr. Marisa Cargill
  Editing by Lauren Collins-Knight

Transcript

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Why Action Still Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back to Couch to Capital on Ohio Counseling Conversations, where we bridge the gap between your clinical couch, the halls of Ohio's State House, and beyond. I'm Lauren Collins Knight, and each month it's our goal to bring you the most relevant legislative updates impacting counselors, clients, and the mental health profession across our state. Although there are some committee meetings and Senate sessions still taking place, the majority of Ohio lawmakers will be out of session until after the November election. However, that doesn't mean we can't take action. We can make our voices heard by voting day of in person on November 3rd or utilizing early voting, either in person or absentee ballot from October 6th through November 2nd. Looking to take action sooner than the fall, take advantage of Ohio representatives being back in the district and request a meeting while they're local. Even a five-minute conversation at their home office can make an impact. If that's a step outside your capacity right now, you can also share written testimony

Senate Bill 274 And Minor Consent

SPEAKER_00 0:58

with us. The Ohio Counseling Association's Government Relations Committee, or GRC, is currently collecting written testimony for Senate Bill 274 regarding prohibiting mental health care of minors without parental consent. Sponsored by Senators Sereno and Brenner and introduced on September 30th, 2025, Senate Bill 274 is seeking to amend certain sections of the Ohio Revised Code and to repeal section 5122.04 entirely to prohibit the provision of mental health services to minors without parental consent. As we may know from our intro in ethics classes from grad school, the current Ohio law permits mental health professionals to provide outpatient mental health services to minors who are 14 years or older on a temporary basis without consent from a parent or guardian. We can only provide up to six sessions or 30 days, whichever occurs sooner, before needing parental consent to continue treatment. Senate Bill 274 is looking to repeal this law and require mental health professionals to receive consent from a minor's parent or guardian before providing any mental health services. OCA's GRC is asking for testimony about how this change may affect you and your clients, specifically if you've treated minors who have benefited from being able to talk to a counselor without parental consent, such as in the school system or in the instances of suicidal ideation or abuse. Please send testimony to GRC co-chair Charles Potter at mindfully.com so that OCA may present and advocate to our representatives at a later date. For more information about submitting testimony, check out our show notes.

Annual Behavioral Health Well Checks

SPEAKER_00 2:33

That isn't the only bill OCA's GRC has been paying attention to. House Bill 724, known as the Mental Health Wellness Checks Bill, is sponsored by Representatives Salvo and White and was introduced on March 3rd of this year. It was immediately referred to the House Insurance Committee on March 4th of 2026 and is a waiting report. This bill would require health benefit plans to provide coverage of annual behavioral health well checks by a licensed behavioral health professional beginning January 1st, 2027. Similar to an annual physical, a behavioral health well check would consist of a review of medical history, evaluation of risk and protective factors, use of developmentally appropriate and validated behavioral health screening tools, education and consultation on healthy lifestyle changes, and referral to ongoing behavioral health services if needed. Under House Bill 724, both independent and professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists would be qualified to provide a behavioral health wealth check. OCA has formally provided supportive testimony in May, along with over a dozen other organizations. House Bill 724 would be another step in the direction of providing accessible mental health care to those in our communities.

PRIDED Act And Conversion Therapy Ban

SPEAKER_00 3:48

Speaking of accessible mental health care, we want all clients to have access to ethical affirming care. This next bill has similar goals in mind. House Bill 327, sponsored by Representatives Brownlee and Brewer, was introduced on June 3rd, 2025 and is known as the Parents' Rights to Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity, or PRIDED Act. This bill focuses on protecting parents' rights to equitable access to medical care, behavioral health care, hygiene care, and educational opportunities for their children. It also endorses inclusive, respectful acceptance regarding their children's rights to freedom of speech, expression, and behavioral health confidentiality. House Bill 327 will repeal laws that prohibit the provision of certain gender transition services to minors and those that prohibit schools from permitting male athletes to participate in female athletic competitions. House Bill 327 also repeals laws requiring schools, educational service centers, and institutions of higher learning to designate single-sex facilities, as well as laws that prohibit educational centers from allowing mixed-sex overnight accommodations. The Pride Act appears aptly named as it aligns with counselors' ethical obligation to provide affirming care and has been a bill GRC is actively following due to federal legislation regarding DEI. Historically, OCA's GRC gathers testimony to share at hearings and opportunities for public comment on the bill, but Ohio counselors don't have to wait for the GRC and can contact their local representative to voice their concerns regarding House Bill 327. Another bill we have pride for is House Bill 300, also sponsored by Representative Brown Lee as well as Representative Lett. This bill was introduced on May 21st, 2025, and was referred to the House Health Committee on May 28th, of 2025. This bill was introduced on May 21st, 2025, and referred to the House Health Committee on May 28th, also of 2025. House Bill 300 prohibits licensed health professionals from engaging in conversion therapy when treating minors. This bill applies to healthcare professionals, including independent and professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists, among others. Conversion therapy is defined as the practice of seeking to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. As behavioral healthcare providers, our profession ethically stands against conversion therapy, not only because there is no credible scientific data to support its effectiveness, but extensive research has documented the harmful and damaging practice of attempting it with clients, often resulting in psychological trauma and distress. If a healthcare professional performs conversion therapy on a minor, House Bill 300 requires the relevant licensing board to suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue or renew the professional's license or certificate of registration. This would be another step in the direction of legislation mirroring counselor ethical code.

Prior Auth, Claims Data, And Reporting

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Next up is House Bill 220, sponsored by Representative Workman, and was introduced to the House on April 1st, 2025. House Bill 220 has passed the Ohio House and is currently pending in the Ohio Senate. This bill will require health insurers and the Department of Medicaid, or ODM, to honor prior authorization approval if a provider prescribes a change in dosage of the approved drug. Prior authorization is defined as a process through which a health care provider requests provisional affirmation of coverage from a health insurer or ODM before a service, device, or drug is prescribed to a patient and before a claim is submitted for payment. House Bill 220 will prohibit health insurers and the Department of Medicaid from retroactively denying a prior authorization for mental health or substance use disorder treatment. As counselors, we know firsthand the importance of clients using as prescribed to maintain stability while engaging in counseling services. This bill will help ensure clients have minimal disruption from retroactive denial and prohibits health insurers and the ODM from charging a fee for appealing an adverse prior authorization determination. You can contact your state representative to prioritize this bill when session resumes. At present, the bill's effective date wouldn't be until January 1st, 2028. OCA's GRC is also paying attention to House Bill 716. Sponsored by Representatives Craig and Dieter and introduced on February 24th, 2026, House Bill 716 is a proposed all-payer claims database within the Department of Insurance that could help lawmakers better understand potential impacts of coverage mandates and help lower health care costs. This bill would require the superintendent of insurance to establish and administer an all-payer claims database, helping increase transparency in the rates for being paid for various services. The database would be available to individuals or government entities via a subscription. Representative Craig states the goal is that it helps lower prices because we'll know what rates are being offered and it should lead folks to negotiate cheaper prices. I view it as a competitive lever for everyone. Representative Dieter is quoted acknowledging that 25 other states already have an all-payer database and eight more are actively developing ones. House Bill 716 was referred to the Insurance Committee on March 17th, 2026, and is now included as a part of Senate Bill 315, which also includes reforms to the Medicaid program. Our next bill is House Bill 346, sponsored by Representatives Kishman and Williams, and introduced last year on June 10th, 2025. Over the past year, it percolated in the Public Safety Committee until being passed by the House on June 9th, 2026, and introduced to the Senate on June 11th. This bill would require healthcare providers to report suspected abuse to both CPS and law enforcement. House Bill 346, also known as VJ's Law, is legislation aimed at improving communication between child welfare agencies and law enforcement to better protect minors from abuse and neglect in Ohio. VJ's law will strengthen mandatory reporting laws in Ohio and require public children's services agencies to notify law enforcement of qualifying reports no later than 48 hours after receiving them. House Bill 346 further establishes criminal and civil penalties for mandated reporters who knowingly fail to comply with reporting requirements. Of course, it is part of our ethical responsibility to advocate for clients experiencing abusive and neglectful situations. However, one might wonder about how severe the penalty is, as a mandated reporter would receive a first degree misdemeanor if the report is only made to either CPS or law enforcement, but not both. A first degree misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. OCA is working to better understand this proposed bill and its implication for Ohio counselors. We encourage you to contact OCA's Government Relations Committee if you would like your voice to be heard.

AI Rules For Therapy In Ohio

SPEAKER_00 11:26

Introduced on October 15th, 2025, by Representatives Cockley and Matthews, House Bill 525 clarifies regulations of artificial intelligence in a therapeutic context. It authorizes licensed therapy professionals to use AI to assist in providing supplementary support, but prohibits licensed therapy professionals from utilizing AI to make therapeutic decisions or otherwise interact with a client in a therapeutic setting. If a clinician were to misuse AI, House Bill 525 permits the professional licensing board to impose a fine not exceeding $10,000 against the licensed therapy professional who violates the bill's provisions. Cockley emphasized that clear boundaries must be established when it comes to deeply personal services like mental health care, and is quoted saying, therapy is often one of the most private and personal experiences someone can have. Ohioans deserve professional care and a personal touch that makes them feel seen and heard. AI models lack the emotional intelligence and human connection necessary to provide the compassionate support and critical diagnoses that trained professionals offer. In alignment with this proposed bill, OCA has shared comments to the Counselor's Social Work and Marriage and Family Therapist Board regarding the board's proposed administrative rule changes associated with AI. OCA has monthly meetings with board representatives and on August 12, 2026, emphasized that the proposed AI rules must explicitly state that human clinicians, not autonomous agents, must make final determination on all matters of clinical significance throughout the course of client care, from initial outreach to termination. Counseling and AI issues have been brought up across the country, not just Ohio. Let's turn our lens to the federal landscape to explore additional legislation regarding AI and client protection. The first bill we're looking at is introduced by Senators Ted Cruz and Brian Schatz on April 28th, 2026, titled The Children's Health Advancement Trust Boundaries and Oversight and Technology, or Chatbot Act. This bill seeks to establish safeguards for minors interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots. Generative AI and language learning models have continued to be an issue at the forefront of the counseling field as serious concerns have been raised about AI chatbots. There have been reports that AI has allegedly encouraged self-harm, fostered unhealthy emotional dependency, and exposed minors to sexually explicit and otherwise inappropriate content. Some individuals are using chatbots as substitutes for mental health care despite the lack of clinical training, ethical standards, and accountability required to provide safe and effective treatment. The Chatbot Act is addressing these risks for minors through several means. It will require family accounts for children under 13 years of age with parental oversight. Strong safeguards will be the default setting, including disabling addictive features, limiting notifications, and requiring clear AI disclosure. Time and memory limits will be used to prevent unhealthy excessive interactions with the chatbot, in addition to parent access to monitor and manage chatbot use. Minors will need parental consent before creating an AI chatbot account, and targeted advertising will be prohibited using minors' data. The National Board for Certified Counselors and OCA both support the Chatbot Act as it reinforces the importance of protecting minors from harmful AI interactions and helps ensure technology does not replace services for mental health professionals. We know AI cannot replace the human connection, clinical judgment, and level of care that counselors provide. This legislation supports both client safety and the integrity of the counseling profession. As of August 5th, 2026, the Chatbot Act was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. You can utilize our links in the show notes for federal bills to contact your local representative and share your feedback directly, including for the Chatbot Act.

Federal Bills And Workforce Threats

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Now we turn our attention to a series of bills promoting the health and protection of the counseling profession. First up is Senate Bill 4202, sponsored by Senator Barrasso and introduced to the Senate on March 25th, 2026. This bill aims to address reimbursement inequality. Known as the Mental Health Access and Provider Support Act of 2026, Senate Bill 4202 seeks to increase Medicare reimbursement for mental health counselors from the present 75% to 85% of the Medicare physician fee schedule. If passed, this bill could have significant implication for America's aging citizens and the counselors who serve them. It has been referred to the Committee on Finance, and we are awaiting further action. We encourage you to stay engaged as this bill progresses. Amongst a counselor worker shortage, this next bill has some of our favorite words. House Bill 7324 is known as the More Behavioral Health Providers Act and was introduced by Representative Nikki Budzinski on February 3rd of this year. It is aiming to attract providers to underserved areas by addressing Medicare's bonus payment program, which presently is limited to physicians, even though counselors and other behavioral health professionals are providing the majority of the care in these shortage areas. House Bill 7324 will expand the bonus payment program to include mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical psychologists. Currently, almost 65,000 mental health counselors are enrolled in Medicare and serve beneficiaries nationwide, but receive no financial incentive to practice in these underserved communities that could use their care the most. Urge your Ohio representatives to co-sponsor the More Behavioral Health Providers Act today. Information on how to is linked in our show notes. Another bill introduced this February is House Bill 7394, known as the Mental Health Career Promotion Act. Introduced on February 5th by Representative Becca Belint, this bill seeks to establish a new federal grant program to promote careers and mental and behavioral health among high school and community college students. This grant initiative is looking for education centers that are providing learners with exposure to and education on careers in the mental and behavioral health field, as well as coordinating internships and opportunities for students who demonstrate an interest in the field. Exposing students early to mental and behavioral health career pathways is a critical way to build a stronger and more diverse workforce. This bill invests in the partnerships between education centers and community-based mental health organizations to provide students with a clearer, supportive pathway to the mental and behavioral health profession. These federal bills feel poignant in response to the challenges the counseling profession has experienced earlier this year, from stricter loaning rules via the Department of Education to ongoing threats to provide a reimbursement. We haven't forgotten the arbitrary exclusion of counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers from professional degree status through the Department of Education's reimagining and improving student education, or RISE rule, that became effective July 1st, 2026. The RISE rule slashed federal student loan limits from $50,000 to $20,500 annually and eliminated graduate plus loans, which is deeply concerning because counseling clearly meets the three criteria Congress established for professional degree status, completion of academic requirements for professional practice, demonstration of professional skill beyond a bachelor's degree, and requirement of professional licensure. Federal policies such as this have the capacity to devastate counselor education programs and harm America's mental health workforce pipeline through a deeply flawed accountability framework. The Department of Education's student tuition and transparency system compares earnings against arbitrary benchmarks and fails to account for factors that impact rates of compensation, as well as the intersecting needs for health professionals in underserved communities. Similarly to advocacy efforts from national organizations such as the American Counseling Association and the National Board for Certified Counselors, OCA is looking to establish a task force focused on the Counselor Workforce pipeline to address the ongoing behavioral health workforce shortage and emerging threats to the counselor workforce. Information about how to get involved with the task force is hopefully coming soon as OCA continues to develop this new initiative.

Town Halls, Lunch And Learns, Conference

SPEAKER_00 20:32

If you're looking to stay connected and get involved with Ohio's counselors, we have some opportunities for you over the next couple of months. OCA's Government Relations Committee and Insurance Advocacy Committee is hosting a town hall this Friday, August 28th from 12 to 1 p.m. virtually over Zoom. Agenda topics include updates from both committees and space for open discussion among participants connected to how Ohio counselors are navigating the evolving legislative landscape at present. OCA is also implementing our monthly Lunch and Learns, the first Friday of each month from 12 to 1 p.m. virtually for professional development opportunities and the potential for CE credit. These lunch and learn opportunities are free to OCA members and $30 for non-members. Join OCA president Dr. Chase Morgan Sweeney as he kicks off our lunch and learn series on Friday, September 4th, presenting on elevating ethical decision making, applying the values-based conflict model in counseling practice. Worried you might miss out on counselor advocacy and education opportunities? We will have all that and more at the All Ohio Counselors Conference sponsored by OCA this November 4th through November 6th. This year is focused all on elevation, elevating our values, our voices, and our vitality. With the opportunity to earn continuing education, participate in an in-person Ohio Counselor Town Hall, and sit in on a live recording of Ohio Counseling Conversations. This is a conference you don't want to miss. Register now before October 7th for early bird pricing. Registration for this event and more will all be found within our show notes. We hope to see you there. And that wraps up this month's episode of Couch to Capital. Make sure you're subscribed so you never miss an update. If you have questions, feedback, or want to get involved with our advocacy efforts, be sure to drop us a line. You can text us or connect with our socials, found in the show notes.