--- type: "Bill" title: "An Act relating to the Board of Professional Counselors; relating to licensing of associate counselors; relating to marital and family therapists; relating to telehealth; relating to review organizations and permitting an emergency medical services provider to establish a review organization; relating to patient records; relating to disclosure and reporting of health care services, prices, and fee information; relating to the health care professionals workforce enhancement program; prohibiting unfair discrimination under group health insurance against associate counselors; relating to medical assistance for professional counseling services; relating to mental health professionals; relating to health care provider liability; and providing for an effective date." description: "An Act relating to the Board of Professional Counselors; relating to licensing of associate counselors; relating to marital and family therapists; relating to telehealth; relating to review organizations and permitting an emergency medical services provider to establish a review organization; relating to patient records; relating to disclosure and reporting of health care services, prices, and fee information; relating to the health care professionals workforce enhancement program; prohibiting unfair discrimination under group health insurance against associate counselors; relating to medical assistance for professional counseling services; relating to mental health professionals; relating to health care provider liability; and providing for an effective date." jurisdiction: "us/states/ak" legislature: "Alaska Legislature" session: "33" identifier: "HB 126" citation: "Alaska HB 126 (33)" classification: ["bill"] subjects: ["BOARDS & COMMISSIONS", "BUSINESS", "CLAIMS", "FAMILIES", "INSURANCE", "LIABILITY", "LICENSING", "MARRIAGE", "MEDICAL CARE", "MENTAL HEALTH", "OCCUPATIONS & PROFESSIONS"] status: "enacted" primary_sponsors: ["Wright"] version_count: 4 action_count: 95 vote_count: 4 first_action: "2023-03-22" last_action: "2024-10-09" source: "openstates" source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0acf2e5c-b3c2-4d37-9bc4-df1fa6b5ee1b" source_url: "https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Detail/33?Root=HB126" source_hash: "3afeddecd63d9baa7f7b26a24010ed61e9060c4da7c3c40af61c7254c34ed0cd" vintage: "2026-07-01" source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump" retrieved_at: "2026-07-06" confidence: "reported" tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ak"] --- # Alaska HB 126 (33) — An Act relating to the Board of Professional Counselors; relating to licensing of associate counselors; relating to marital and family therapists; relating to telehealth; relating to review organizations and permitting an emergency medical services provider to establish a review organization; relating to patient records; relating to disclosure and reporting of health care services, prices, and fee information; relating to the health care professionals workforce enhancement program; prohibiting unfair discrimination under group health insurance against associate counselors; relating to medical assistance for professional counseling services; relating to mental health professionals; relating to health care provider liability; and providing for an effective date. ## Version chain The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment. 1. **Enrolled HB 126** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/33?Hsid=HB0126Z) 2. **HB 126** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/33?Hsid=HB0126A) 3. **SCS HB 126(FIN)** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/33?Hsid=HB0126B) 4. **SCS HB 126(FIN) am S** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/Bill/Text/33?Hsid=HB0126C) ## Votes - (S) PASSED Y17 N1 A2 #2834 — **17–1** (pass) · upper - (H) CONCURRED AM OF (S) Y37 N1 A2 #3315 — **37–1** (pass) · lower - (H) PASSED Y38 N1 E1 #1848 — **38–1** (pass) · lower - (S) AM NO 1 FAILED Y8 N11 A1 # 2830 — **8–11** (fail) · upper ## Sponsors - Wright — primary (person) - Claman — cosponsor (person) - Dunbar — cosponsor (person) - Galvin — cosponsor (person) - Giessel — cosponsor (person) - Hannan — cosponsor (person) - Hughes — cosponsor (person) - Kaufman — cosponsor (person) - Kawasaki — cosponsor (person) - Merrick — cosponsor (person) - Prax — cosponsor (person) - Ruffridge — cosponsor (person) - Saddler — cosponsor (person) - Story — cosponsor (person) - Wilson — cosponsor (person) ## Timeline The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote. - **2023-03-22** (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS `reading-1` - **2023-03-22** (H) L&C - **2023-03-29** (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124 - **2023-03-29** (H) Heard & Held - **2023-03-29** (H) Minutes (HL&C) - **2023-04-19** (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124 - **2023-04-19** (H) -- Public Testimony -- -- MEETING CANCELED -- - **2023-04-21** (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124 - **2023-04-21** (H) Heard & Held - **2023-04-21** (H) Minutes (HL&C) - **2023-05-01** (H) LABOR & COMMERCE at 03:15 PM BARNES 124 - **2023-05-01** (H) Moved HB 126 Out of Committee - **2023-05-01** (H) Minutes (HL&C) - **2023-05-03** (H) L&C RPT 4DP 3NR - **2023-05-03** (H) DP: WRIGHT, RUFFRIDGE, PRAX, SUMNER - **2023-05-03** (H) NR: FIELDS, CARRICK, SADDLER - **2023-05-03** (H) FN1: ZERO(DOH) - **2023-05-03** (H) FN2: ZERO(DOH) - **2023-05-03** (H) FN3: (CED) - **2023-05-03** (H) FIN REFERRAL ADDED AFTER L&C - **2024-01-16** (H) COSPONSOR(S): STORY - **2024-02-06** (H) FINANCE at 10:00 AM ADAMS 519 - **2024-02-06** (H) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change -- - **2024-02-06** (H) Minutes (HFIN) - **2024-02-19** (H) FINANCE at 08:30 AM ADAMS 519 - **2024-02-19** (H) Heard & Held -- Recessed to a Call of the Chair -- - **2024-02-19** (H) Minutes (HFIN) - **2024-03-05** (H) FINANCE at 09:00 AM ADAMS 519 - **2024-03-05** (H) Moved HB 126 Out of Committee -- Please Note Time Change -- - **2024-03-06** (H) FIN RPT 6DP 3NR - **2024-03-06** (H) DP: COULOMBE, HANNAN, GALVIN, STAPP, D.JOHNSON, FOSTER - **2024-03-06** (H) NR: CRONK, ORTIZ, JOSEPHSON - **2024-03-06** (H) FN4: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-03-06** (H) FN5: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-03-06** (H) FN6: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-03-06** (H) FN7: (CED) - **2024-03-06** (H) COSPONSOR(S): HANNAN - **2024-03-14** (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 3/14/2024 - **2024-03-14** (H) READ THE SECOND TIME `reading-2` - **2024-03-14** (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 3/18 CALENDAR `reading-3` - **2024-03-14** (H) COSPONSOR(S): RUFFRIDGE - **2024-03-18** (H) READ THE THIRD TIME HB 126 `reading-3` - **2024-03-18** (H) PASSED Y38 N1 E1 `passage` - **2024-03-18** (H) COSPONSOR(S): GALVIN, PRAX - **2024-03-18** (H) TRANSMITTED TO (S) `passage` - **2024-03-18** (H) VERSION: HB 126 - **2024-03-20** (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS `reading-1` - **2024-03-20** (S) FIN - **2024-04-29** (S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 - **2024-04-29** (S) Heard & Held -- Please Note Time Change -- - **2024-04-29** (S) Minutes (SFIN) - **2024-05-08** (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 - **2024-05-08** (S) Scheduled but Not Heard - **2024-05-08** (S) Minutes (SFIN) - **2024-05-09** (S) FINANCE at 09:00 AM SENATE FINANCE 532 - **2024-05-09** (S) Moved SCS HB 126(FIN) Out of Committee - **2024-05-09** (S) Minutes (SFIN) - **2024-05-09** (S) FINANCE at 01:30 PM SENATE FINANCE 532 - **2024-05-09** (S) -- Please Note Time Change -- - **2024-05-09** (S) Minutes (SFIN) - **2024-05-10** (S) FIN RPT SCS 4DP 2NR NEW TITLE - **2024-05-10** (S) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 19 - **2024-05-10** (S) DP: HOFFMAN, OLSON, WILSON, BISHOP - **2024-05-10** (S) NR: STEDMAN, MERRICK - **2024-05-10** (S) FN4: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-05-10** (S) FN5: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-05-10** (S) FN6: ZERO(DOH) - **2024-05-10** (S) FN7: (CED) - **2024-05-13** (S) RULES TO FIRST SUP CALENDAR 5/13/2024 - **2024-05-13** (S) READ THE SECOND TIME `reading-2` - **2024-05-13** (S) FIN SCS ADOPTED UC - **2024-05-13** (S) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING 5/14 CAL `reading-3` - **2024-05-14** (S) MOVED TO BOTTOM OF CALENDAR - **2024-05-14** (S) NOT TAKEN UP 5/14 - ON 5/15 CAL - **2024-05-15** (S) READ THE THIRD TIME SCS HB 126(FIN) `reading-3` - **2024-05-15** (S) RETURN TO SECOND FOR AMS UC - **2024-05-15** (S) AM NO 1 FAILED Y8 N11 A1 `amendment-failure` - **2024-05-15** (S) AM NO 2 ADOPTED UC `amendment-passage` - **2024-05-15** (S) ...CHANGES TITLE OF LEGISLATION - **2024-05-15** (S) AUTOMATICALLY IN THIRD READING `reading-3` - **2024-05-15** (S) CROSS SPONSOR(S): WILSON, KAUFMAN, GIESSEL, DUNBAR, MERRICK, CLAMAN, - **2024-05-15** (S) KAWASAKI, HUGHES - **2024-05-15** (S) PASSED Y17 N1 A2 `passage` - **2024-05-15** (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE - **2024-05-15** (S) TRANSMITTED TO (H) AS AMENDED `passage` - **2024-05-15** (S) VERSION: SCS HB 126(FIN) AM S - **2024-05-15** (H) CONCUR READ AND TAKEN UP - **2024-05-15** (H) TITLE CHANGE: SCR 19 - **2024-05-15** (H) CONCURRED AM OF (S) Y37 N1 A2 - **2024-05-15** (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE - **2024-05-15** (H) COSPONSOR(S): SADDLER - **2024-10-09** (H) 2:30 P.M. 8/26/24 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt` - **2024-10-09** (H) MANIFEST ERROR(S) - **2024-10-09** (H) Signed into law 8/30 CHAPTER 44 SLA 24 `executive-signature` - **2024-10-09** (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER `became-law` ## Source OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0acf2e5c-b3c2-4d37-9bc4-df1fa6b5ee1b`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Alaska legislature records).