PETITIONS FOR RULEMAKING
Vol. 41 Iss. 6 - November 04, 2024

TITLE 18. PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING

BOARD OF COUNSELING

Agency Decision

Title of Regulation: 18VAC115-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3505 of the Code of Virginia.

Name of Petitioner: Sharon Watson.

Nature of Petitioner's Request: The petitioner requests that the Board of Counseling amend 18VAC115-20-52 B 10 and 18VAC115-50-60 B 8 to allow residents in counseling to directly bill for services and directly receive payments from clients.

Agency Decision: Request denied.

Statement of Reason for Decision: At its meeting on October 4, 2024, the Board of Counseling voted to take no action on the petition. The board believes there are additional factors to consider, such as new liability for supervisors and public knowledge of supervision, prior to taking such a regulatory action. To that end, the board has referred this issue to the board's regulatory committee to further consider the petitioner's request.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Counseling, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4406, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.

VA.R. Doc. No. PFR24-40; Filed June 27, 2024, 12:13 p.m.

Agency Decision

Title of Regulation: 18VAC115-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Professional Counseling.

Statutory Authority: §§ 54.1-2400 and 54.1-3505 of the Code of Virginia.

Name of Petitioner: Tamara Peterson.

Nature of Petitioner's Request: The petitioner requests that the Board of Counseling amend 18VAC115-20-52 D to require supervisors to report the total hours of residency and evaluate an applicant's competency within a set timeframe.

Agency Decision: Request granted.

Statement of Reason for Decision: At its meeting on October 4, 2024, the Board of Counseling voted to initiate a rulemaking to implement the request to require supervisors to report total hours of residency and evaluate an applicant's competency within a set timeframe.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Counseling, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4406, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.

VA.R. Doc. No. PFR24-35; Filed June 18, 2024, 9:54 a.m.

BOARD OF SOCIAL WORK

Initial Agency Notice

Title of Regulation: 18VAC140-20. Regulations Governing the Practice of Social Work.

Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.

Name of Petitioner: Alexander Lagos Choquecahua.

Nature of Petitioner's Request: The petitioner requests that the Board of Social Work amend 18VAC140-20-50 A to permit a supervisee who has received approval to obtain supervision hours but has not begun supervision to pause the four-year timeframe to obtain supervision until the supervisee is ready to begin earning supervision hours.

Agency Plan for Disposition of Request: The petition for rulemaking will be published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on November 4, 2024. The petition will also be published on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall to receive public comment, which opens November 4, 2024, and closes December 4, 2024. The board will consider the petition and all comments in support or opposition at the next meeting after the close of public comment. That meeting is currently scheduled for December 20, 2024. The petitioner will be notified of the board's decision after that meeting.

Public Comment Deadline: December 4, 2024.

Agency Contact: Jaime Hoyle, Executive Director, Board of Social Work, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4441, or email jaime.hoyle@dhp.virginia.gov.

VA.R. Doc. No. PFR25-422; Filed October 15, 2024, 3:22 p.m.