House Passes Major Health Care Reform Bill, Including Medicare Coverage of Counselors!
Legislative News 11.9.2009
The House of Representatives took an historic step forward on Saturday, November 7th with the passage of major health insurance reform legislation, H.R.3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
Read more...
Congress Trying to Finish Work on Spending Bills for Education, Other Agencies
Legislative News 10.27.2009
On July 30, 2009, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed, by a vote of 29 to 1, the committee's version of the appropriations bill funding the federal Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for fiscal year (FY) 2010.
Read more...
Important and Historic Victory---California Becomes 50th State to License Professional Counselors!
Legislative News 10.11.2009
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed into law, California Senate Bill 788, establishing licensure of professional clinical counselors in the state. The counselor licensure bill was introduced by Senators Mark Wyland and Senate President pro tem Darrell Steinberg.
Read more...
VA Meeting Held to Speed Implementation of Counselor Recognition Law
Legislative News 10.8.2009
ACA staff and representatives of our sister organizations representing professional counselors and marriage and family therapists participated in a rare joint meeting with House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee staff and Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Assistant Secretary for Human Resources John Sepúlveda and several of his staff members from the agency.
Read more...
Senate Health Bill Moving Toward Floor, Without Counselor Medicare Coverage Provision
Legislative News 10.8.2009
The Senate Finance Committee completed substantially all work on health care and Medicare legislation in the early hours of October 2, having considered more than one hundred amendments to the legislation.
Read more...
California Counselor Licensure Bill on Governor Schwarzenegger’s Desk
Legislative News 9.18.2009
The counseling profession's long-standing goal of achieving recognition in all 50 states is a major step closer to completion. In the final hours of its legislative session, the California legislature approved a bill establishing licensure of professional clinical counselors in the state.
Read more...
House Health Care Reform Bill Includes Medicare Coverage of Counselors
Legislative News 7.10.2009
The three House committees with jurisdiction over health care—the House Ways & Means Committee, the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and the House Education & Labor Committee—have released draft health care reform legislation, including provisions to update the Medicare program.
Read more...
ACA UPDATE: President Obama Releases First Budget Proposal
Legislative News 5.8.2009
On May 7th, President Obama released the first installment of his budget proposal for the fiscal year (FY) 2010, spelling out his fiscal priorities and recommendations. The roughly $3.7 trillion plan contains the nitty-gritty details the House and Senate Appropriations committees will need to put together their annual spending bills later this year.
Read more...