AN ACT to allow all years of full‑time mental health, developmental DISABILITY, and substance abuse services (MH/DD/SAS) experience to apply to the QUALIFICATIONS required for MH/DD/SAS qualified professionals.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and its Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services shall amend the qualifications for Qualified Professionals within the mental health, developmental disability, and substance abuse services (MH/DD/SAS) system of care, as defined in rule, clinical care policies for the Medicaid program, and the North Carolina Medicaid State Plan. The amendments to the qualifications for Qualified Professionals shall ensure that the years of full‑time MH/DD/SAS experience required by the rule may be obtained either before or after obtaining the required educational degree. No later than December 1, 2017, any State Plan amendment necessary to effect these changes shall be submitted by DHHS to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The Commission for Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services shall amend the rules as soon as possible but no later than six months after the date that DHHS has received CMS approval of the necessary Medicaid State Plan amendments.
SECTION 2.  Any changes to clinical coverage policies and any changes to rules adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services relating to the qualifications for Qualified Professionals required under Section 1 of this act shall not become effective until DHHS has received CMS approval of the State Plan amendment required by Section 1 of this act.
SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 31st day of May, 2017.

	s/	 Bill Rabon
	 Presiding Officer of the Senate

	s/	 Tim Moore
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Roy Cooper
	 Governor

Approved 11:17 a.m. this 8th day of June, 2017