1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to occupations and professions; waiving the 
  1.3             written case presentation and oral examination 
  1.4             component of the licensing requirements for certain 
  1.5             alcohol and drug counselors; amending Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 148C.11, subdivision 
  1.7             3. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2001 Supplement, section 
  1.10  148C.11, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  1.11     Subd. 3.  [FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES; ETHNIC MINORITIES.] 
  1.12  (a) Alcohol and drug counselors licensed to practice alcohol and 
  1.13  drug counseling according to standards established by federally 
  1.14  recognized tribes, while practicing under tribal jurisdiction, 
  1.15  are exempt from the requirements of this chapter.  In practicing 
  1.16  alcohol and drug counseling under tribal jurisdiction, 
  1.17  individuals licensed under that authority shall be afforded the 
  1.18  same rights, responsibilities, and recognition as persons 
  1.19  licensed pursuant to this chapter. 
  1.20     (b) The commissioner shall develop special licensing 
  1.21  criteria for issuance of a license to alcohol and drug 
  1.22  counselors who:  (1) practice alcohol and drug counseling with a 
  1.23  member of an ethnic minority population or with a person with a 
  1.24  disability as defined by rule; or (2) are employed by agencies 
  1.25  whose primary agency service focus addresses ethnic minority 
  1.26  populations or persons with a disability as defined by rule.  
  2.1   These licensing criteria may differ from the licensing criteria 
  2.2   specified in section 148C.04.  To develop, implement, and 
  2.3   evaluate the effect of these criteria, the commissioner shall 
  2.4   establish a committee comprised of, but not limited to, 
  2.5   representatives from the Minnesota commission serving deaf and 
  2.6   hard-of-hearing people, the council on affairs of Chicano/Latino 
  2.7   people, the council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans, the council on 
  2.8   Black Minnesotans, the council on disability, and the Indian 
  2.9   affairs council.  The committee does not expire. 
  2.10     (c) The commissioner shall issue a license to an applicant 
  2.11  who (1) is an alcohol and drug counselor who is exempt under 
  2.12  paragraph (a) from the requirements of this chapter; (2) has at 
  2.13  least 2,000 hours of alcohol and drug counselor experience as 
  2.14  defined by the core functions; and (3) meets the licensing 
  2.15  requirements that are in effect on the date of application under 
  2.16  section 148C.04, subdivision 3 or 4, except the written case 
  2.17  presentation and oral examination component under section 
  2.18  148C.04, subdivision 3, clause (2), or 4, clause (1), item 
  2.19  (ii).  When applying for a license under this paragraph, an 
  2.20  applicant must follow the procedures for admission to licensure 
  2.21  specified under section 148C.0351.  A person who receives a 
  2.22  license under this paragraph must complete the written case 
  2.23  presentation and satisfactorily pass the oral examination 
  2.24  component under section 148C.04, subdivision 3, clause (2), or 
  2.25  4, clause (1), item (ii), at the earliest available opportunity 
  2.26  after the commissioner begins administering oral examinations.  
  2.27  The commissioner may suspend or restrict a person's license 
  2.28  according to section 148C.09 if the person fails to complete the 
  2.29  written case presentation and satisfactorily pass the oral 
  2.30  examination.  This paragraph expires July 1, 2004.