HB4397 - 104th General Assembly (2025-2026)
SCH CD-SCH PSYCHOLOGIST-DEGREE
Last Action
3/26/2026 - House: Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate
Statutes Amended In Order of Appearance
Synopsis As Introduced
Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that "school psychologist" means a psychologist who, along with other qualifications, has graduated with a specialist degree, an equivalent degree with the completion of a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours, or a higher degree in school psychology (rather than a master's degree or higher degree in psychology or educational psychology) from an institution of higher learning and has had at least 1,200 clock hours of supervised experience (rather than one school year of full-time supervised experience) in the delivery of school psychological services. Makes changes to provide that school psychological services provided by qualified specialists who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for school psychology may include, but are not limited to: (1) providing assessments; (2) creating and implementing prevention and intervention services that support student learning; (3) providing mental and behavioral health services; (4) acting as liaisons between public schools and community agencies; (5) evaluating program effectiveness; (6) providing crisis prevention, response, and intervention within the school setting; (7) providing consultation and collaboration; (8) supervising school psychologist interns enrolled in school psychology programs; (9) screening school enrollments to identify children who should be referred for individual study; and (10) developing any other necessary programs and services. Provides that a school psychologist may not provide school psychological services outside of his or her employment to any student in any school district that employs the school psychologist. Makes other changes.
House Committee Amendment No. 1
Replaces everything after the enacting clause. Amends the Children with Disabilities Article of the School Code. Provides that "school psychologist", for a psychologist licensed on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act, means a psychologist who, along with other qualifications, has graduated with a specialist degree, an equivalent degree with the completion of a minimum of 60 graduate semester hours, or a higher degree in school psychology from an institution of higher learning that maintains equipment, courses of study, and standards of scholarship approved by the State Board of Education, and has had at least 1,200 clock hours of supervised experience in the delivery of school psychological services of a character approved by the State Superintendent of Education, at least 600 hours of which were in a school setting, and has such additional qualifications as may be required by the State Board of Education. Makes changes to provide that school psychological services provided by qualified specialists who hold a Professional Educator License endorsed for school psychology may include, but are not limited to: (1) providing assessments; (2) creating and implementing prevention and intervention services that support student learning; (3) providing mental and behavioral health services; (4) acting as liaisons between public schools and community agencies; (5) evaluating program effectiveness; (6) providing crisis prevention, response, and intervention within the school setting; (7) providing consultation and collaboration; (8) supervising school psychologist interns enrolled in school psychology programs; (9) screening school enrollments to identify children who should be referred for individual study; and (10) developing any other necessary programs and services. Provides that a school psychologist may not provide school psychological services outside of his or her employment to any student in any school district that employs the school psychologist. Makes other changes.
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1/13/2026 | House | Filed with the Clerk by Rep. Michael Crawford |
| 1/14/2026 | House | First Reading |
| 1/14/2026 | House | Referred to Rules Committee |
| 2/11/2026 | House | Assigned to Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools |
| 2/11/2026 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Filed with Clerk by Rep. Michael Crawford |
| 2/11/2026 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Referred to Rules Committee |
| 3/18/2026 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Rules Refers to Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools |
| 3/25/2026 | House | House Committee Amendment No. 1 Adopted in Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools; by Voice Vote |
| 3/25/2026 | House | Do Pass as Amended / Short Debate Elementary & Secondary Education: Administration, Licensing & Charter Schools; 008-001-000 |
| 3/26/2026 | House | Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Maurice A. West, II |
| 3/26/2026 | House | Placed on Calendar 2nd Reading - Short Debate |