The Examining Board of Psychology (board) has filed WSR 24-14-079 (PDF) to amend the  Psychology rules in WACs 246-924-010, 246-924-046, 246-924-053, 246-924-095, and 246-924-100, establish 246-924-048 and 246-924-0481, and repeal 246-924-047.

The board is adopting these emergency rules to reduce barriers to entering and remaining in the behavioral health workforce as mandated in Second Substitute House Bill (2SHB) 1724.

These emergency rules will accomplish this by:

1) Updating required curriculum content areas to more closely align with current American Psychological Association (APA) standards and correct the minimum credit hour requirements;

2) Allowing all graduate level courses completed prior to the conferral of a doctoral degree to be accepted as fulfilling the
required curriculum content areas;

3) Adding the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) as an approved educational accrediting body;

4) Clarifying the two residency pathways (academic residency and educational meetings) and what qualifies as residency hours;

5) Reducing the number of educational meeting hours required in lieu of a full-time academic residency;

6) Reducing the minimum requirement for preinternship direct contact hours;

7) Reducing the waiting period for an applicant to retake the national examination and require applicants taking their third or subsequent reexamination to submit an action plan to the board; and

8) Updating the rule to include all current licensing pathways for providers credentialed in another jurisdiction.

These emergency rules will be continued while permanent rulemaking is in progress under WSR 24-11-005, filed May 2, 2024. Information about the permanent rulemaking is posted on the Psychology Rules in Progress webpage.

See the Emergency Rules WAC Chapter (PDF) for full details of immediate changes.