--- title: HR 1587. Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol; 3/5/26; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1587 cite_as: HR 1587, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1587 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1587.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1587/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73893 date: 2026-03-04 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1586.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1588.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1587.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1587 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-04 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Alan Powell - Houston Gaines - Holt Persinger - Brent Cox - Kimberly New - Karen Mathiak text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1587/2025 upstream_id: 2129466 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - mental health - licensed professional counselors - ceremonial resolution - Georgia state capitol --- # HR 1587. Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol; 3/5/26; recognize ## Text House Resolution 1587 By: Representatives Powell of the 33rd, Gaines of the 120th, Persinger of the 119th, Cox of the 28th, New of the 40th, and others A RESOLUTION Recognizing March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in the State of Georgia provide vital mental health services and actively work to bridge the gap in mental health disparities, ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds, races, socio-economic statuses, and cultures have equal access to quality mental health care; and WHEREAS, these dedicated LPCs undergo rigorous training and education that encompasses crucial areas such as psychopathology, testing and assessment, ethics, research, diversity, career development, and human development, equipping them to address the multifaceted challenges faced by our citizens; and WHEREAS, the State of Georgia proudly recognizes and supports the more than 13,000 licensed professional counselors and licensed associate professional counselors, each of whom contributes significantly to the mental and emotional well-being of our community members, reinforcing the strength and resilience of our great state; and WHEREAS, inspired by the mission of the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia (LPCAGA), which aims to support the profession and professionalism of professional counselors, we acknowledge the pivotal role LPCs play in mental health treatment, ensuring that every individual in need receives the quality care and support they deserve; and WHEREAS, the establishment of the 988-crisis line, an essential help line for those in dire need, now has a more extensive network of dedicated practitioners to refer to, thanks largely to the commitment and expertise of our LPCs; and WHEREAS, we commend the autonomy and comprehensive capabilities of our LPCs who are sanctioned to practice independently, bill insurance companies directly, diagnose clients, administer vital clinical assessments, and conduct thorough mental health evaluations independently. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol and encourage all Georgians to recognize the importance of healthy minds and the noble work of our state's Licensed Professional Counselors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution designates March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol, honoring the state's licensed professional counselors and licensed associate professional counselors. ### Plain-language summary This resolution from the Georgia House of Representatives sets aside March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol. It does not change any Georgia law; instead it formally recognizes the work of licensed professional counselors (LPCs) and licensed associate professional counselors, who the resolution says number more than 13,000 statewide. The resolution's preamble describes counselors' training, their role in expanding mental health access, and their connection to the 988 crisis line. It also notes that LPCs can practice independently, bill insurance directly, diagnose clients, and conduct assessments. The resolution directs the Clerk of the House to make copies available to the public and press, which is standard for ceremonial resolutions of this kind. ### What it does - Designates March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the Georgia state capitol. - Encourages all Georgians to recognize the importance of mental health and the work of licensed professional counselors. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare copies of the resolution for distribution to the public and press. - Contains no funding, penalties, or changes to any Georgia statute; it is a symbolic recognition only. ### Who it affects Licensed professional counselors and licensed associate professional counselors in Georgia, whom the resolution says number more than 13,000, along with the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and members of the public who interact with the mental health system. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding changes, so it does not alter how counselors practice, get licensed, or bill insurers. Its practical effect is a one-day ceremonial honor at the capitol intended to raise public awareness of counselors' role in mental health care. ### Key provisions - The preamble describes LPCs' training in areas like psychopathology, testing and assessment, ethics, and human development. - The preamble states Georgia has more than 13,000 licensed professional counselors and licensed associate professional counselors. - The preamble links LPCs to the expansion of the 988 crisis line's referral network. - The resolving clause formally recognizes March 5, 2026, as Licensed Professional Counselors Appreciation Day at the state capitol. - A further resolved clause directs the Clerk of the House to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-04) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-04) - Sponsors: Alan Powell, Houston Gaines, Holt Persinger, Brent Cox, Kimberly New, Karen Mathiak - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73893 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1587.md?full=1