Lawmakers approve compact to let licensed counselors treat patients across state lines
The state legislature has approved a measure that will allow Pennsylvania’s licensed professional counselors to provide care to patients in other member states without obtaining separate state-by-state licenses, a change supporters say will expand access to mental health services for residents who travel or temporarily relocate.
The bill, which made its way quickly through the General Assembly, would make Pennsylvania the 40th state to join the Interstate Counseling Compact. The Senate approved the legislation in July 2025 by a 45-5 vote; the House followed with an 188-14 vote this month. It now returns to the Senate for a final, routine endorsement by the chamber’s president before going to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. A spokesperson for the bill’s Senate sponsor has said the governor plans to sign it.
“My therapist had always asked me if I was in Pennsylvania before a session started, and there was actually a time where I was not, and we couldn’t meet, and I didn’t understand why,”
The story behind the push came from Democratic state Rep. Jennifer O’Mara of Delaware County, who described being unexpectedly cut off from virtual therapy after leaving the state following the birth of her first child. Pennsylvania requires counselors to hold a license for each state where they practice, a rule that prevented O’Mara’s counselor from completing a teletherapy session while she was in North Carolina. That experience helped drive her multi-year effort to bring Pennsylvania into the compact.
What the compact does and who it covers
The compact applies specifically to licensed professional counselors (LPCs). It permits counselors who hold an active license in Pennsylvania to offer services in any other state that has adopted the compact, and vice versa, without securing additional state licenses. The arrangement mirrors similar multistate compacts Pennsylvania already participates in for doctors, nurses and physical therapists, which aim to facilitate cross-state telemedicine and inpatient care.
- Applies to licensed professional counselors (LPCs) only.
- Allows teletherapy and other counseling practice across member states without extra licenses.
- Intended to improve continuity of care for patients who travel or temporarily relocate.
Practical effect and regional partners
Supporters say the compact will reduce interruptions in care for Pennsylvanians who travel for work, visit family or spend part of the year in another state. It also eases administrative burdens for counselors who serve clients across state lines via telehealth platforms.
Pennsylvania will join several neighboring and regional states already in the compact, including Delaware, New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio, and more distant members such as North Carolina. The bill’s backers include Pennsylvania Counseling Association leaders, who represent roughly 700 members statewide and had lobbied for the change.
| Vote | Count |
|---|---|
| Senate | 45-5 |
| House | 188-14 |
The compact does not alter licensing requirements for other mental health professions, nor does it change obligations tied to malpractice, scope of practice or state disciplinary processes. Those remain governed by each state’s licensing board and laws.
For Pennsylvania residents, the change should mean fewer sudden cancellations of teletherapy when a patient crosses a state line and broader options for continuity of care. Lawmakers and counseling advocates say the compact is a modest but practical step to modernize licensure rules for a health service increasingly delivered across state borders.
