1. (a) Legislative intent.

   1. (1) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that an individual may be credentialed to work in Arkansas if he or she generally demonstrates the skills and ethics required by state law based on the individual’s experience and credentials in another state.
   2. (2) It is not the intent of the General Assembly to cause the licensing entity to engage in simple comparisons of the required hours of training and other personal qualifications under Arkansas’s occupational licensing statutes with those qualifications required in the state where the individual is credentialed.

2. (b) Reciprocity under Acts 2019, No. 1011, to be codified as Arkansas Code § 17-1-108(c) and (d)(1)(A).

   1. (1) Required qualifications. An applicant applying for reciprocal licensure shall meet the following requirements:

      1. (A)

3. (i) The applicant shall hold a substantially similar license in another United States jurisdiction.

   1. (ii) A license from another state is substantially similar to an Arkansas LADAC or LAADAC license if the other state’s licensure qualifications require:
4. (a) (a) For a licensed alcoholism and drug abuse counselor, holds a master’s degree in the health or behavioral sciences field or other appropriate field from an accredited college or university; or

5. (b) (b) For a licensed associate alcoholism and drug abuse counselor holds a baccalaureate degree in the health or behavioral sciences field or other appropriate field from an accredited college or university.

   1. (iii) The applicant shall hold his or her occupational licensure in good standing.

      1. (iv) The applicant shall not have had a license revoked for:
6. (a) (a) An act of bad faith; or

7. (b) (b) A violation of law, rule, or ethics.

   1. (v) The applicant shall not hold a suspended or probationary license in a United States jurisdiction;

      1. (B) The applicant shall be sufficiently competent in the field of substance use disorder; and

      2. (C) Applicant must provide identification consisting of:

         1. (i) Valid driver’s license; or
         2. (ii) Birth certificate.

   2. (2) Required documentation.

      1. (A) An applicant shall submit:

         1. (i) A fully executed application;
         2. (ii) The required fee; and
         3. (iii) The documentation described below.

      2. (B) As evidence that the applicant’s license from another jurisdiction is substantially similar to Arkansas’s, the applicant shall submit the following information:

         1. (i)
8. (a) (a) Evidence of current and active licensure in that state.

9. (b) (b) The State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors may verify this information:

   1. (1) (1) Online, if the jurisdiction at issue provides primary source verification on its website; or

   2. (2) (2) By telephone to the other state’s licensing board; and

      1. (ii)
10. (a) (a) Evidence that the other state’s licensure requirements match those listed in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(ii)(a) of this section.

11. (b) (b) The State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors may verify this information:

    1. (1) (1) Online; or

    2. (2) (2) By telephone to the other state’s licensing board.

       1. (C) To demonstrate that the applicant meets the requirement in subdivisions (b)(1)(A)(iii) – (b)(1)(A)(v) of this section, the applicant shall provide the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors with:

          1. (i) The names of all states in which the applicant is currently licensed or has been previously licensed; and
          2. (ii)

12. (a) (a) Letters of good standing or other information from each state in which the applicant is currently or has ever been licensed showing that the applicant:

    1. (1) (1) Has not had his or her license revoked for the reasons listed in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(iv) of this section; and
    2. (2) (2) Does not hold a license on suspended or probationary status as described in subdivision (b)(1)(A)(v) of this section.

13. (b) (b) The State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors may verify this information online if the jurisdiction at issue provides primary source verification on its website or by telephone to the other state’s licensing board.

    1. (D) As evidence that the applicant is sufficiently competent in the field of substance use disorder treatment, an applicant shall:

       1. (i) Provide proof of having taken and passed a nationally qualifying written examination;

          1. (ii) Submit three (3) letters of recommendation from professional sources; and
          2. (iii) Provide an unopened college transcript to the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors at time of application.
          3. (c) Temporary and provisional license.

    2. (1) The State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors shall issue a temporary and provisional license immediately upon receipt of the:

       1. (A) Application;
       2. (B) Required fee; and
       3. (C) Documentation required under subdivisions (b)(2)(B)(i) and (b)(2)(B)(ii) of this section.
    3. (2) The temporary and provisional license shall be effective until the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors makes a decision on the application, unless the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors determines that the applicant does not meet the requirements in subdivisions (b)(1)(A) and (b)(1)(B) of this section, in which case the temporary and provisional license shall be immediately revoked.

    4. (3) An applicant may provide the rest of the documentation required above in order to receive a license, or the applicant may only provide the information necessary for the issuance of a temporary and provisional license.

       1. (d) License for person from a state that does not license profession — Acts 2019, No. 1011, to be codified as Arkansas Code § 17-1-108(d)(2).

    5. (1) Required qualifications. An applicant from a state that does not license alcohol and drug abuse counselors shall meet the following requirements:

       1. (A) The applicant shall be sufficiently competent in the field of substance use disorder treatment; and
       2. (B) Provide an unopened college transcript to the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors at time of application.

    6. (2) Required documentation.

       1. (A) An applicant shall submit:

          1. (i) A fully executed application;
          2. (ii) The required fee; and
          3. (iii) The documentation described below.

       2. (B) As evidence that the applicant is sufficiently competent in the field of substance use disorder treatment, an applicant shall:

          1. (i) Provide proof of having taken and passed a nationally qualifying written examination;
          2. (ii) Submit three (3) letters of recommendation from professional sources; and
          3. (iii) Provide an unopened college transcript to the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors at time of application.

14. (e) Reciprocity and state-specific education — Acts 2019, No. 1011, to be codified as Arkansas Code § 17-1-108(d)(3).

    1. (1) The State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors shall require an applicant to have a master’s degree in the health or behavioral science field or other appropriate field from an accredited college or university for an LADAC, or bachelor’s degree in the health or behavioral science field or other appropriate field from an accredited college or university for an LAADAC, if the applicant is licensed in another state that does not offer reciprocity to Arkansas residents that is similar to reciprocity to out-of-state applicants in Arkansas Code § 17-1-108.

    2. (2) Reciprocity in another state will be considered similar to reciprocity under Arkansas Code § 17-1-108 if the reciprocity provisions in the other state:

       1. (A) Provide the least restrictive path to licensure for Arkansas applicants;
       2. (B) Do not require Arkansas applicants to participate in the apprenticeship, education, or training required as a prerequisite to licensure of a new professional in that state, except that the state may require Arkansas applicants to participate in continuing education or training that is required for all professionals in that state to maintain licensure; and
       3. (C) Do not require Arkansas applicants to take state-specific education unless required under the same conditions described in Arkansas Code § 17-1-108.

15. (f)

    1. (1) All documentation and work experience submitted with an application will be reviewed by the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors for consistency with its requirements for licensure.
    2. (2) If you cannot meet all of these requirements, you will need to make application for licensure at the State Board of Examiners of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors website, www.sbeadac.org.

Codification Notes: "LADAC" means licensed alcoholism and drug abuse counselor. "LAADAC" means licensed associate alcoholism and drug abuse counselor.