New Mexico Register / Volume XXXVII,
Issue 6 / March 24, 2026
NOTICE OF PUBLIC RULE HEARING AND BOARD
MEETING
The New Mexico
Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and Regulation and Licensing Department
will hold a rule hearing on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Immediately
following the rule hearing, the Board will convene a regular board meeting to
consider adoption of rules and take care of regular business. The hearing and
board meeting will be held at the Regulation and Licensing Department, located
at 5500 San Antonio Dr., Albuquerque, NM in the Sandia Conference Room.
The hearing and
subsequent Counseling and Therapy Practice board meeting may also be accessed
virtually via Microsoft Teams.
Meeting Link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/29536352493621?p=GP2F6epF5B8uiO8SoG
Meeting ID: 295
363 524 936 21
Passcode: PZ3aU7M3
Dial in by phone
1 505-312-4308,
United States, Albuquerque
Phone conference
ID: 698 404 256#
The purpose of the
hearing rule is to consider the initiation if the rule making for the following
rules:
Rule 16.27.2 NMAC
Mental Health Core Curriculum Requirements
Rule 16.27.6 NMAC
Requirements for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Rule 16.27.9 NMAC
Requirements for Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
On Wednesday,
April 1, 2026, copies of the proposed rules may be obtained through the New
Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board website at:
https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/counseling-and-therapy-practice/statutes-rules-and-rule-hearings/
or by contacting the Board Administrator
for the Board at (505) 476-4622.
The New Mexico
Counseling and Therapy Practice Board and Regulation and Licensing Department
will begin accepting written public comment regarding the proposed rule changes
beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 8:00 a.m. and ending Friday, May 1, 2026,
8:00 a.m. Written comments may be submitted either by email to
counseling.board@rld.nm.gov or by postal mail to the following address:
New Mexico
Regulation and Licensing Department
Attn: New Mexico
Counseling and Therapy Practices Board
P.O Box 25101
Santa Fe, NM 87504
Written comments
received during the public comment period (April 1, 2026- May 1, 2026) will be
posted to the website page linked above. Public comment will also be accepted during
the rule hearing and may be submitted in writing or presented orally by those
attending in-person. The members of the New Mexico Counseling and Therapy
Practices Board will not engage in substantive discussion of public comments
during the rule hearing but will consider all public comments during the
regular board meeting immediately following the conclusion of the rule hearing.
The agenda for the
New Mexico Counseling and Therapy Practice Board regular meeting which will
begin immediately after the public rule hearing, will be posted and available
at least 72 hours before the meeting on the Board website:
https://www.rld.nm.gov/boards-and-commissions/individual-boards-and-commissions/counseling-and-therapy-practice/board-information/
. Copies of the agenda may also be obtained by contacting Roxann Ortiz, Senior
Board Administrator.
For inclement
weather: If the New Mexico state offices are placed on a two-hour delay due to
inclement weather, the rule hearing will be pushed two hours from the notice
hearing time. If New Mexico state offices are closed due to inclement weather,
the rule hearing will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
An individual with
disability who is in need of a reader, amplifier,
qualified sign language interpreter, or other form of auxiliary aid or services
to attend or participate in the hearing, please contact Roxann Ortiz, Senior
Board Administrator at (505) 476-4622 at least 7 days prior to the rule hearing
and regular board meeting. Public documents, including the purposed rules,
meeting agenda and minutes, can be provided in various accessible formats.
Statutory
Authority:
The rule changes
are authorized by the Counseling and Therapy Practice Act, NMSA 1978, Section
61-6A-1 through 61-6A-30, specifically authorizes the Board to adopt and file
in accordance with the State Rules Act, Sections 14-4-1 through 14-4-11 NMSA
1978, and the Default Procedural Rule for Rulemaking promulgated by the New
Mexico Department of Justice, Parts 1.24.25.1 through 1.24.25.16 NMAC, in accordance
with the provision of the Uniform Licensing Act, NMSA 1978, Section 61-1-1
through 61-1-37.
Purpose of the
Proposed Rules:
The proposed rule
changes are intended to amend the rules to provide an alternative path to
licensure for individuals who completed a clinical training program that did
not require the necessary number of credit hours of practicum/internship. More generally, the
proposed rules are intended to provide greater clarity in existing regulatory
and statutory requirements, ensure continued high levels of professionalism
among licensees and certificate holders, and to generally satisfy the
Counseling and therapy Practice Boards statutory obligation to promote,
preserve and protect the public health, safety and welfare.
Summary of
Proposed Changes:
16.27.2
NMAC-Mental Health Core Curriculum Requirements The amendments to this rule
establish an alternative pathway to licensure for individuals whose counseling
degree programs do not satisfy the required practicum and/or internship credit
hour requirements.
16.27.6 NMAC
Requirements for Licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)- The
amendments to this rule create an alternative pathway to licensure for
applicants who do not meet the prescribed practicum and/or internship credit
hour requirements.
16.27.9 NMAC
Requirements for Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) The amendments
to this rule provide an alternative pathway to licensure for applicants who do
not meet the required practicum and/or internship credit hour requirements.