An Act to Update the Requirements for Psychology Licensure
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1990
Sponsors: BAILEY
Amends: 32 MRSA §3831

Legislative Document
No. 1990
S.P. 802
In Senate, December 5, 2025
An Act to Update the Requirements for Psychology Licensure
(EMERGENCY)
Submitted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation pursuant to Joint 
Rule 203.
Received by the Secretary of the Senate on December 3, 2025.  Referred to the Committee 
on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator BAILEY of York.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, current law governing qualification for licensure as a psychologist 
disqualifies candidates who failed an examination within the preceding 6 months, 
preventing the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists from granting licensure to 
candidates who subsequently passed the examination within the 6-month period; and
Whereas, one of the primary responsibilities of the board is to review the credentials 
of qualified candidates for licensure as psychologists and to grant licensure without delay 
in response to behavioral health workforce shortages, increasing access to behavioral health 
care services; and
Whereas, this legislation must take effect as soon as possible to better allow the board 
to quickly respond to the behavioral health workforce shortage; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §3831, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §1, is further 
amended to read:
2.  Psychologist.  A candidate for this license shall furnish the board with satisfactory 
evidence that the candidate is trustworthy and competent to practice as a psychologist in 
such manner as to safeguard the interest of the public; has received a doctorate degree 
reflecting comprehensive training in psychology from an accredited institution recognized 
by the board as maintaining satisfactory standards, at the time the degree was granted; has 
had at least 2 years of experience in psychology of a type considered by the board to be 
qualifying in nature; is competent in psychology, as shown by passing such examinations 
as the board determines necessary; and is not considered by the board to be engaged in 
unethical practice; and has not within the preceding 6 months failed an examination.  The 
board shall recognize that valid comprehensive training in psychology must be received in 
or accepted by a single program, but may be obtained through a degree given by 
administrative units other than a department of psychology, including programs approved 
by the National Association of School Psychologists or the American Psychological 
Association designation program or their successors or other organizations approved by the 
board.  The board shall adopt a list of these programs.  Individuals with degrees from 
programs not on that list must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Beginning January 1, 2020, a candidate for initial licensure shall furnish the board with 
satisfactory evidence that the candidate has successfully completed a minimum of 3 hours 
of course work in family or intimate partner violence screening and referral and 
intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, 
evidence-based risk assessment and same-gender abuse dynamics.  A candidate may fulfill 
this requirement through course work taken in fulfillment of other educational requirements 
for licensure or through separate course work provided through any combination of contact 
hours, Internet hours and distance learning programs, as evidenced by certification from an 
accredited educational institution.  The board shall accept certification from the accredited 
educational institution from which the applicant is a graduate that verifies the applicant's 
satisfaction of this requirement within the applicant's completed course curriculum.  A 
candidate for initial licensure that is unable to demonstrate completion of the requirement 
of 3 hours of course work at the time the initial application is submitted shall demonstrate 
to the board that this requirement has been fulfilled upon the candidate's first application 
for license renewal.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This bill modifies licensure requirements for psychologists by allowing the State Board 
of Examiners of Psychologists to accept applications for licensure at any time after 
successful passage of the qualifying examination.  Current law prevents the board from 
accepting such applications within 6 months of failure of the examination.