Amd §§7603, 7607, 7704, 7710, 8402, 8403 & 8412, Ed L
Requires domestic violence coursework for applicants for license and mandatory continuing education classes for psychology, licensed master social worker, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, and mental health practitioners.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10380
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to requiring domestic
violence coursework for requirements for certain professional licenses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 7603 of the education law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
3 (3-a) Domestic violence coursework: The commissioner shall require
4 applicants for licensure as licensed psychologist to complete no less
5 than three credit hours of graduate-level course work related to domes-
6 tic violence.
7 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 7607 of the education law, as added by
8 chapter 436 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
9 2. During each triennial registration period, an applicant for regis-
10 tration as a psychologist shall complete a minimum of thirty-six hours
11 of acceptable learning activities, a minimum of three hours of which
12 shall be course work in the area of professional ethics, including the
13 laws, rules and regulations for practice in New York. The commissioner
14 shall require the completion of domestic violence-related continuing
15 education of not less than two hours as part of the mandatory continuing
16 education requirements for license renewal. Any psychologist whose first
17 registration date following the effective date of this section occurs
18 less than three years from such effective date, but on or after January
19 first, two thousand twenty-one, shall complete continuing education
20 hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one hour per month for the
21 period beginning January first, two thousand twenty-one up to the first
22 registration date thereafter. A psychologist who has not satisfied the
23 mandatory continuing education requirement shall not be issued a trien-
24 nial registration certificate by the department and shall not practice
25 unless and until a conditional registration is issued as provided for in
26 subdivision three of this section. Continuing education hours taken
27 during one triennium may not be transferred to the subsequent triennium.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15559-01-6
S. 10380 2
1 § 3. Subdivision 2 of section 7704 of the education law is amended by
2 adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
3 (c-1) Domestic violence coursework: The commissioner shall require
4 applicants for licensure as licensed clinical social workers to complete
5 no less than three credit hours of graduate-level course work related to
6 domestic violence.
7 § 4. Subdivision 2 of section 7710 of the education law, as added by
8 chapter 443 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
9 2. During each triennial registration period an applicant for regis-
10 tration as a licensed master social worker or licensed clinical social
11 worker shall complete a minimum of thirty-six hours of acceptable formal
12 continuing education. The commissioner shall require the completion of
13 domestic violence-related continuing education of not less than two
14 hours as part of the mandatory continuing education requirements for
15 license renewal. Any licensed master social worker or licensed clinical
16 social worker whose first registration date following the effective date
17 of this section occurs less than three years from such effective date,
18 but on or after January first, two thousand fifteen, shall complete
19 continuing education hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one hour
20 per month for the period beginning January first, two thousand fifteen
21 up to the first registration date thereafter. A licensee who has not
22 satisfied the mandatory continuing education requirement shall not be
23 issued a triennial registration certificate by the department and shall
24 not practice unless and until a conditional registration is issued as
25 provided for in subdivision three of this section. Continuing education
26 hours taken during one triennium may not be transferred to the subse-
27 quent triennium.
28 § 5. Subdivision 3 of section 8402 of the education law is amended by
29 adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
30 (c-1) Domestic violence coursework: The commissioner shall require
31 applicants for licensure as licensed mental health counselors to
32 complete no less than three credit hours of graduate-level course work
33 related to domestic violence.
34 § 6. Subdivision 3 of section 8403 of the education law is amended by
35 adding a new paragraph (c-1) to read as follows:
36 (c-1) Domestic violence coursework: The commissioner shall require
37 applicants for licensure as licensed marriage and family therapist to
38 complete no less than three credit hours of graduate-level course work
39 related to domestic violence.
40 § 7. Subdivision 2 of section 8412 of the education law, as added by
41 chapter 486 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
42 2. During each triennial registration period an applicant for regis-
43 tration as a licensed mental health counselor, marriage and family ther-
44 apist, psychoanalyst, and creative arts therapist shall complete a mini-
45 mum of thirty-six hours of acceptable formal continuing education, a
46 maximum of twelve hours of which may be self-instructional course work
47 acceptable to the department. The commissioner shall require the
48 completion of domestic violence-related continuing education of not less
49 than two hours as part of the mandatory continuing education require-
50 ments for license renewal. Any licensed mental health counselor,
51 marriage and family therapist, psychoanalyst, and creative arts thera-
52 pist whose first registration date following the effective date of this
53 section occurs less than three years from such effective date, but on or
54 after January first, two thousand seventeen, shall complete continuing
55 education hours on a prorated basis at the rate of one hour per month
56 for the period beginning January first, two thousand seventeen up to the
S. 10380 3
1 first registration date thereafter. A licensee who has not satisfied the
2 mandatory continuing education requirement shall not be issued a trien-
3 nial registration certificate by the department and shall not practice
4 unless and until a conditional registration certificate is issued as
5 provided for in subdivision three of this section. Continuing education
6 hours taken during one triennium may not be transferred to the subse-
7 quent triennium.
8 § 8. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
9 ing the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,
10 the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
11 sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
12 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
