GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 597

Short Title:  Professional Counselors.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senators Lee; Ballantine, Foxx, Gulley, Horton, Hoyle, Jordan, Martin of Guilford, McDaniel, Miller, Perdue, Phillips, Rand, and Soles.

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Referred to:  Commerce.

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April 1, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ALLOW PHYSICIANS PRACTICING PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHOLOGISTS TO FORM PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS WITH LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 55B-14(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	A professional corporation may also be formed by and between or among:
(1)	A licensed psychologist and a physician practicing psychiatry to render psychotherapeutic and related services;
(2)	Any combination of a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, certified clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing, certified nurse midwife, and certified nurse anesthetist, to render nursing and related services that the respective stockholders are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved to provide;
(3)	A physician and a physician assistant who is licensed, registered, or otherwise certified under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes to render medical and related services;
(4)	A physician practicing psychiatry, or a licensed psychologist, or both, and a certified clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing, a certified clinical social worker, a licensed professional counselor, or each of them, to render psychotherapeutic and related services that the respective stockholders are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved to provide;
(5)	A physician and any combination of a nurse practitioner, certified clinical specialist in psychiatric and mental health nursing, or certified nurse midwife, registered or otherwise certified under Chapter 90 of the General Statutes, to render medical and related services that the respective stockholders are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved to provide; and
(6)	A physician practicing anesthesiology and a certified nurse anesthetist to render anesthesia and related medical services that the respective stockholders are licensed, certified, or otherwise approved to provide."
Section 2.  G.S. 55B-2(6) reads as rewritten:
"(6)	The term 'professional service' means any type of personal or professional service of the public which requires as a condition precedent to the rendering of such service the obtaining of a license from a licensing board as herein defined, and pursuant to the following provisions of the General Statutes: Chapter 83A, 'Architects'; Chapter 84, 'Attorneys-at-Law'; Chapter 93, 'Public Accountants'; and Article 1, 'Practice of Medicine,' Article 2, 'Dentistry,' Article 6, 'Optometry,' Article 7, 'Osteopathy,' Article 8, 'Chiropractic,' Article 9A, 'Nursing Practice Act,' with regard to registered nurses, Article 11, 'Veterinarians,' Article 12A, 'Podiatrists,' Article 18A, 'Practicing Psychologists,' Article 18D, 'Occupational Therapy,' and Article 24, 'Licensed Professional Counselors,' of Chapter 90; Chapter 89C, 'Engineering and Land Surveying'; Chapter 89A, 'Landscape Architects'; Chapter 90B, 'Social Worker Certification Act' with regard to Certified Clinical Social Workers as defined by G.S. 90B-3; Chapter 89E, 'Geologists'; and Chapter 89B, 'Foresters.'"
Section 3.  This act becomes effective October 1, 1997.