PROPOSED

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BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors

(New Administrative Regulation)

201 KAR 38:021.Application.

RELATES TO:

KRS 335.620

STATUTORY AUTHORITY:

KRS 335.615(1)-(4), (6), 335.620

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT:

NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:

KRS 335.615 requires the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors to promulgate administrative regulations establishing requirements for licensure. KRS 335.620 requires the board to promulgate administrative regulations establishing an initial fee for licensure and requirements for a written examination. This administrative regulation establishes the application process for certification.

Section 1.

An applicant for licensure shall:

(1)

Meet the requirements of KRS 335.620;

(2)

Pay by check or money order an initial licensure fee as established by 201 KAR 38:040, Fees, made payable to the Kentucky State Treasurer;

(3)

(a)

Pass the written examination titled "Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselors Examination" administered and verified by the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors, which may include the topics set forth in 201 KAR 38:031, Section 3(1) through (4); and

(b)

Submit documentation of a passing score to the board; and

(4)

File a completed, signed, and dated Application for Licensure as a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor, or "PC-3", with the board containing:

(a)

Name;

(b)

Address;

(c)

Home phone;

(d)

Work address;

(e)

Work phone;

(f)

Cell phone;

(g)

Work email;

(h)

Personal email;

(i)

Date of birth;

(j)

Social security number;

(k)

Criminal convictions;

(l)

Misconduct in other counseling positions;

(m)

Credentials by other states;

(n)

Membership in professional organizations;

(o)

Education; and

(p)

Prior employment history, including job duties and employer contact information.

Section 2.

Verification of hours.

(1)

Verification of clinical practice hours required by KRS 335.620(1)(e)(1).

(a)

An applicant shall provide documentation verifying completion of at least 1,375 hours in the practice of supervised pastoral counseling subsequent to the conferral of the qualifying master's degree. Supervision shall be rendered by a qualified supervisor. Documentation shall include a log of clinical hours signed by their current supervisor.

(b)

Clinical practice hours shall consist of direct counseling moments with individuals, couples, families, or groups, in which the applicant is actively engaged in assessment, treatment, intervention, or therapeutic support. Non‑clinical pastoral counseling activities such as administrative work, teaching, chaplaincy, preaching, pastoral care or general ministry duties shall not be counted toward supervised pastoral counseling hours requirements.

(2)

Verification of clinical supervision hours required by KRS 335.620(1)(e)(2). An applicant shall provide documentation verifying completion of at least 250 hours of clinical supervision by a qualified supervisor, of which a minimum of thirty (30) hours shall be individual supervision provided by a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor with at least five (5) years of experience in pastoral counseling.

(3)

For purposes of subsection (1) and (2), a qualified supervisor shall be an individual who:

(a)

Is licensed as a licensed pastoral counselor in Kentucky;

(b)

Holds licensure or certification, with at least five (5) years of clinical experience and two (2) years of supervisory experience, in one of the following mental health professions:

1.

Psychiatry;

2.

Psychology;

3.

Social work;

4.

Professional counseling;

5.

Marriage and family therapy; or

6.

Licensed clinical alcohol and drug counseling; and

(c)

Holds a clinical supervisor credential or its substantive equivalent from a Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselor's approved pastoral counseling training or certified body, demonstrating both advanced clinical experience and documented training in the supervision of pastoral counselors; or

(d)

Previously held a Diplomate or Fellow level certification from the American Association of Pastoral Counselors or one (1) of its regional affiliates prior to the organization's cessation of operations and continues to meet the experience requirement of subsection (a) or (b) of this section.

Section 3.

Required Documentation; Affidavit.

(1)

Documentation of clinical supervision. This shall include:

(a)

A log indicating the time frame during which clinical supervision occurred, which includes:

1.

A clearly delineated number of individual supervision hours and the number of group supervision hours; and

2.

A total number of supervision hours; including the name, license, and qualifications of each supervisor, accompanied by the current supervisor's signature attesting to the accuracy of the record.

(b)

Clinical supervision shall consist of documented supervisory meetings with a Board‑approved supervisor that addresses the applicant's clinical work, case conceptualization, treatment planning, ethical concerns, and professional growth. Administrative meetings, general ministry oversight, or non‑clinical discussions shall not be counted toward clinical supervision hours requirements.

(c)

Clinical supervision may occur in both individual and group settings; however, the applicant must obtain at least 120 of the required 250 supervision hours in individual supervision.

(2)

Documentation of educational credentials. This shall include:

(a)

An official transcript from an accredited university; or

(b)

Documentation from a Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors approved non-accredited program, which shall include course descriptions, syllabi, and other explanatory materials from the institution or training program.

(3)

Documentation of good character by written endorsement provided by a denomination, faith community, or recognized religious or spiritual organization, attesting to the applicant's good standing and fitness for pastoral counseling practice. This may be provided by:

(a)

An official representative of an ordaining or credentialing body within the applicant's denomination or faith tradition;

(b)

An official representative of a congregation, parish, or faith community in which the representative holds active membership or ministerial standing; or

(c)

An official representative of a board-approved religious or spiritual organization, professional chaplaincy body, or interfaith institution that can attest to the applicant's religious or spiritual formation and character.

(4)

Applicant's Affidavit. The applicant shall sign an affidavit certifying that all statements, answers, and documentation submitted in support of the application are true, correct, and complete to the best of the applicant's knowledge.

Section 4.

Incorporation by Reference.

(1)

Form "Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor Application", PC-3 (September 2026), Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors, is incorporated by reference.

(2)

This material may be inspected, copied, or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

HISTORY: COMPILER'S NOTE: 2025 RS HB 6, enacted by the General Assembly on March 27, 2025, altered the information to be provided at the time an administrative regulation is filed. Aside from formatting changes necessary to upload the regulation into the LRC's publication application, this regulation has been published as submitted by the agency.

201 KAR 38:021

MARGARET BROOKS, Chair

APPROVED BY AGENCY: August 31, 2026

FILED WITH LRC: October 13, 2026 at 11:13 a.m.

PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT PERIOD: A public hearing on this administrative regulation shall be held on December 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. EST at the Mayo-Underwood Building, Room 127CW, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky. Individuals interested in being heard at this hearing shall notify this agency in writing by five (5) workdays prior to the hearing of their intent to attend. If no notification of intent to attend the hearing was received by that date, the hearing may be cancelled. A transcript of the public hearing will not be made unless a written request for a transcript is made. If you do not wish to be heard at the public hearing, you may submit written comments on the proposed administrative regulation. Written comments shall be accepted through December 31, 2026. Send written notification of intent to be heard at the public hearing or written comments on the proposed administrative regulation to the contact person by using the PPC public comment portal at the address listed below.

CONTACT PERSON: Name: Matthew D. Ellison, Title: Staff Attorney III Agency: Department of Professional Licensing, Office of Legal Services, Address: 500 Mero Street, 2 NC WK#4, Phone Number: (502) 782-0706 (office), Fax: (502) 564-4818, Email: Matthew.Ellison@ky.gov, Link to PPC public comment portal: https://ppc.ky.gov/reg_comment.aspx

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS AND TIERING STATEMENT

Contact Person:

Matthew D. Ellison, Staff Attorney III, Phone: 502-782-0706, Email: matthew.ellison@ky.gov

Subject Headings:

Licensing, Mental Health, Occupations and Professions

(1) Provide a brief summary of:

(a) What this administrative regulation does:

This administrative regulation establishes the licensing criteria for becoming a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor.

(b) The necessity of this administrative regulation:

This administrative regulation is necessary because it provides the listed criteria for an applicant to obtain licensure.

This administrative regulation amendment conforms with the Board’s authority in KRS 335.615(4) to license pastoral counseling applicants who satisfy the requirements; KRS 335.615(6) to promulgate administrative regulations to implement the purposes of KRS 335.600 to .699; and KRS 335.620 to establish an initial fee for licensure and requirements for a written examination.

(d) How this administrative regulation currently assists or will assist in the effective administration of the statutes:

This administrative regulation assists in the effective administration of the statute by setting forth clear and defined licensing criteria for applicants.

(2) If this is an amendment to an existing administrative regulation, provide a brief summary of:

(a) How the amendment will change this existing administrative regulation:

N/A.

(b) The necessity of the amendment to this administrative regulation:

N/A.

(d) How the amendment will assist in the effective administration of the statutes:

N/A.

(3) Does this administrative regulation or amendment implement legislation from the previous five years?

No.

(4) List the type and number of individuals, businesses, organizations, or state and local governments affected by this administrative regulation:

This administrative regulation will affect an unknown number of persons who wish to apply for licensure; the Board does not anticipate more than 10-15 applicants in a given calendar year at the maximum.

(5) Provide an analysis of how the entities identified in question (4) will be impacted by either the implementation of this administrative regulation, if new, or by the change, if it is an amendment, including:

(a) List the actions that each of the regulated entities identified in question (4) will have to take to comply with this administrative regulation or amendment:

Potential applicants will need to complete the application and provide the identified personal and background information, and attain the required criteria for clinical supervision, including specific criteria on the qualification of any such professional who provides clinical supervision to the applicant.

(b) In complying with this administrative regulation or amendment, how much will it cost each of the entities identified in question (4):

The applicant will have to pay the application and initial licensing fee, along with the fee for the required examination. The total amounts are set forth in 201 KAR 38:040, and total $550.00 per potential applicant.

Applicants will be able to become licensed as a Kentucky Licensed Pastoral Counselor through this process.

(6) Provide an estimate of how much it will cost the administrative body to implement this administrative regulation:

(a) Initially:

There will be no initial cost to the administrative body to implement this administrative regulation.

(b) On a continuing basis:

There will be no continuing cost to the administrative body to implement this administrative regulation.

(7) What is the source of the funding to be used for the implementation and enforcement of this administrative regulation or this amendment:

The Board’s operations are funded by fees paid by license holders and applicants.

(8) Provide an assessment of whether an increase in fees or funding will be necessary to implement this administrative regulation, if new, or by the change if it is an amendment:

No increase in fees or funding will be necessary to implement this change to this administrative regulation.

(9) State whether or not this administrative regulation establishes any fees or directly or indirectly increases any fees:

This administrative regulation does establish fees paid to the Board for an application, initial licensure, and administration of the required examination.

(10) TIERING: Is tiering applied?

Tiering is not applied because this regulation applies to all applicants equally.

FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT

(1) Identify each state statute, federal statute, or federal regulation that requires or authorizes the action taken by the administrative regulation:

. KSR 335.615(6) requires the Board to promulgate administrative regulations to implement the purposes of KRS 335.600-.699. KRS 335.615(1) does require the Board to approve or deny applications for licensure.

(2) State whether this administrative regulation is expressly authorized by an act of the General Assembly, and if so, identify the act:

This administrative regulation is not expressly authorized by any act of the General Assembly, aside from the general enabling statute, see KRS 335.615(6).

(3)(a) Identify the promulgating agency and any other affected state units, parts, or divisions:

The Kentucky Board of Licensure for Pastoral Counselors is the promulgating agency.

(b) Estimate the following for each affected state unit, part, or division identified in (3)(a):

1. Expenditures:

For the first year:

There are no expenditures anticipated in the first year.

For subsequent years:

There are no expenditures anticipated in subsequent years.

2. Revenues:

For the first year:

There are no revenues anticipated for the first year.

For subsequent years:

There are no revenues expected for subsequent years.

3. Cost Savings:

For the first year:

No cost savings are anticipated in the first year.

For subsequent years:

No cost savings are anticipated in subsequent years.

(4)(a) Identify affected local entities (for example: cities, counties, fire departments, school districts):

None anticipated.

(b) Estimate the following for each affected local entity identified in (4)(a):

1. Expenditures:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

2. Revenues:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

3. Cost Savings:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

(5)(a) Identify any affected regulated entities not listed in (3)(a) or (4)(a):

None anticipated.

(b) Estimate the following for each regulated entity identified in (5)(a):

1. Expenditures:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

2. Revenues:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

3. Cost Savings:

For the first year:

N/A

For subsequent years:

N/A

(6) Provide a narrative to explain the following for each entity identified in (3)(a), (4)(a), and (5)(a)

(a) Fiscal impact of this administrative regulation:

There is no fiscal impact of this administrative regulation for any entity identified in (3)(a), (4)(a), and (5)(a).

(b) Methodology and resources used to reach this conclusion:

Methodology and resources used are the fiscal department within the Public Protection Cabinet, Department of Professional Licensing.

(7) Explain, as it relates to the entities identified in (3)(a), (4)(a), and (5)(a):

(a) Whether this administrative regulation will have a "major economic impact", as defined by KRS 13A.010(14):

It is not anticipated that this administrative regulation will have an overall negative or adverse major economic impact to the entities identified.

(b) The methodology and resources used to reach this conclusion: