The Licensing Reform Task Force was established by Governor Greg Gianforte on January 29, 2026. The purpose of the Task Force is to provide the Governor with recommendations and strategies to reform and improve Montana's professional occupational licensing system. The Task Force is focused on identifying and removing barriers to employment when those regulations are not related to public health and safety.
The Task Force conducted its first meeting on Feb. 10, 2026. During that meeting, Task Force members discussed a number of subcommittees, including a Healthcare Subcommittee.
All Task Force meetings and subcommittee meetings are open to the public. In addition, interested members of the public are invited to submit comments and provide input into subcommittee work plans. Meeting details, public comment forms, and additional information regarding the Task Force is available at Occupational Licensing Task Force.
The first meeting of the Licensing Reform Task Force Healthcare Subcommittee will be held on Friday, Feb. 13 by Zoom. Public participation information is below.
Meeting Details
Date: Friday, February 13, 2026 / 10:30 AM
Platform: Zoom
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Meeting ID: 857 6689 9825
Passcode: 814836
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Federal Loan Caps and the Exclusion of Counseling and Therapy Programs from "Professional" Status by the Department of Education
Summary of the Issue
The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) is deeply concerned by the Department of Education’s preliminary implementation guidance for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which establishes new federal student loan caps for graduate and professional students beginning July 1, 2026 and issues the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) to replace existing loan repayment programs, including the Grad PLUS Program and much of the Parent PLUS program. Under these changes, counseling and therapy programs—including Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, and related master’s and doctoral degrees—are (1) not included among the eleven “professional degree” programs though this degree meets a professional and licensure standard and (2) therefore will be restricted to the lower graduate-level cap of $20,500 per year for student loans rather than the $50,000 per year for professional degrees.
Why it matters
Excluding counseling programs from the professional-degree designation creates a harmful and artificial distinction between Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs) and other health-care professions such as physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and—even more concerning—clinical psychologists, who were included on the professional list. This reinforces outdated stigma suggesting that mental health providers are not true health professionals, contradicting parity laws and decades of advocacy to ensure equitable care and coverage.
This decision also threatens the behavioral-health workforce by making counseling education financially inaccessible. Program costs often range from $14,000 to $60,000 annually and do not include additional expenses such as practica, supervision, licensing exams, travel, or living costs—gaps previously filled by Grad PLUS loans that will no longer be available. With many programs exceeding the new $20,500 annual loan cap, enrollment will likely decline, disproportionately affecting first-generation students, underrepresented communities, rural students, and those pursuing clinical careers out of commitment to service. These barriers directly undermine AMHCA’s decades of work to establish LMHCs as highly trained, independently licensed mental health professionals essential to meeting the nation’s growing behavioral-health needs.
Action
We are looking for two courses of action:
- Public comment period is open on the DOE rules. Make your own comments to the proposed rules on the public comment page by Mar 2, 2026, at 11:59 PM EST. Use our templates below:
- Write to your legislator. Voice your support for the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals (LEAP) Act (H.R. 6574). Request that they sign on to this bill or thank them for supporting by drafting an email to your legislator using the template below.
- Find your Congressional Representatives using this tool to let them know you support the LEAP Act: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.
- Find your senators to ask for a "companion bill": U.S. Senate: Contacting U.S. Senators
Templates for contacting your Congressional Representative
1. Request for Support
Congressman/Congresswoman [Insert Name],
I would like to urge you to support the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals (LEAP) Act (H.R.6574). The LEAP Act would raise federal student loan limits for graduate programs to be equal with professional programs. So, both students in graduate and professional programs would be able to borrow $50,000 annually ($200,000 aggregate limit). Counselors are professionals. Our training and degree programs prepare us for the hard work of healing and supporting Americans. Our programs need financial support to ensure our workforce does not suffer from this rulemaking. There are alternative routes to managing student loan limits and the cost of education. This request of support is in response to the DOE proposed rules on federal student loans and changes to the student lending process.
The Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act
- Increases counselors’ access to federal student loans
- Recognizes and supports the valuable contributions of counselors and other professionals with master’s degrees -
- Invests in the counseling workforce
Thank you for your attention, [your signature here]
2. Thank you for your support
Congressman/Congresswoman [Insert Name],
I would like to thank you for signing on to support the Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals (LEAP) Act (H.R.6574). The LEAP Act would raise federal student loan limits for graduate programs to be equal with professional programs. So, both students in graduate and professional programs would be able to borrow $50,000 annually ($200,000 aggregate limit). Counselors are professionals. Our training and degree programs prepare us for the hard work of healing and supporting Americans. Our programs need financial support to ensure our workforce does not suffer from this rulemaking.
The Loan Equity for Advanced Professionals Act
- Increases counselors’ access to federal student loans
- Recognizes and supports the valuable contributions of counselors and other professionals with master’s degrees
- Invests in the counseling workforce
Thank you for your support and dedicated work, [your signature here]
URGENT DEVELOPMENTS IN LEGISLATION IMPACTING COUNSELORS AND OUR CLIENTS
Ways you can participate in MT legislation and advocate for our profession and clients by visiting:
Testify in Person: In-person testimonies are highly impactful. If you’re able to attend, please come prepared to share your perspective. If you can't make it in person you can always testify via Zoom.
Submit Written Testimony: If you can’t testify in person (or virtually), consider submitting your testimony in writing to the committee.
| SAMPLE LETTERS TO LEGISLATORS
I am writing to express my strong support for [Bill Number/Name], which is currently under consideration in the [legislative body, e.g., (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee, State Senate, State House, etc.]. This legislation is crucial for [briefly state the purpose or benefit of the bill]. By passing this bill, we can [mention a positive outcome or impact]. I urge you to vote in favor of [Bill Number/Name] and help make a positive difference in our community. Sample Oppose Bill Message: I am writing to express my strong opposition to [Bill Number/Name], which is currently under consideration in the [legislative body, e.g., (S) Public Health, Welfare and Safety Committee, State Senate, State House, etc.]. This legislation raises significant concerns because [briefly state the reasons or negative impacts of the bill]. Implementing this bill could [mention a potential negative outcome or consequence]. I urge you to vote against [Bill Number/Name] to protect the best interests of our community. |
Sample Support Bill Message: