Government Relations

HB 1250

HB 1250 passed in the House of Representatives on March 9, 2010 and is headed to the Senate.

State Policy and Legislation

One of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association's primary objectives is to lobby state legislators and administration officials in Harrisburg for laws and policies that are favorable to professional counselors and the clients that they serve.  A recent and significant example of that is Act 136, Pennsylvania's LCSW/LPC law.  However, many other legislative battles need to be waged.  To learn how you can help, contact the PCA Government Relations Committee at the contact information below.

Legislative Coalition

The PCA is currently a member organization of the Pennsylvania Alliance of Counseling Professionals (PACP).  The PACP is a legislative coalition through which the PCA and other organizations not affiliated with the PCA pool together to obtain lobbying services.  And those services are provided by professional lobbyist Morgan Plant.  Ms. Plant helps the coalition determine the best approach and timing associated with tackling the legislative issues that are of concern to professional counseling.  To contact the PACP, please go through our PCA Government Relations Committee, whose contact information can be found below.

Federal Policy and Legislation

PCA parent association American Counseling Association (ACA) is working on a number of federal policy issues to advance professional counseling and better serve clients.  These issues include, but are not limited to, Medicare coverage for mental healthcare consumers seen by professional counselors, the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy law and regulations, mental health parity, and federal funding for school counseling programs.  Your help is needed!  To find out how you can help move us forward, or for updates on key federal legislation, visit the ACA's Public Policy & Legislation and ACA Legislative Action Center Web pages.

Government Official Locator

Click on the League of Women Voters logo to determine who your U.S., Pennsylvania, county, and municipal elected government officials are:

Listserv

PCA members, click on the Bravenet "Knight" to subscribe to the PCA's listserv--an e-mail system where users receive messages sent to the list by PCA officials--for legislative updates and alerts.

For more information on the issues we are working on, as well as the ACA's legislative efforts, contact the PCA Government Relations Committee representative listed on the PCA Contact page.