HF4471 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))
Music therapist licensure created, fees established, and civil penalties imposed.
AI Generated Summary
Purpose
- The bill would create licensure for music therapists and set up related licensing rules, fees, and civil penalties. It would codify this licensing framework as a new Minnesota law (Minnesota Statutes chapter 148H) and make related amendments to existing law (Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.0572, subdivision 1).
What the bill would do
- Establish a formal license for music therapists to regulate the profession.
- Set up licensing fees and penalties for violations (civil penalties) tied to licensure.
- Create a new statutory framework for music therapists (chapter 148H) to govern who can practice and how they are regulated.
- Update the current background check requirements to apply to music therapists and related health occupations.
Key provisions: background checks and processes
- For initial licensure, temporary licensure, or relicensure after a lapse in licensure, applicants for certain health professions—including music therapists—must undergo:
- A criminal history background check using state records (conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, BCA).
- A national criminal history check, including a search of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) records.
- Beginning January 1, 2020, applicants for renewal licenses or certificates (for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, music therapists, and hearing instrument dispensers) who were licensed before January 1, 2018 must also undergo the same state and national background checks.
- Each applicant must also submit to a background study under Chapter 245C.
- The background checks must be designed so that any new crimes committed after the initial check are flagged in the BCA or FBI databases and reported back to the commissioner of human services.
Significant changes to existing law
- Adds music therapists to the group of health professionals subject to criminal history background checks for licensure and renewal.
- Amends how background checks and ongoing monitoring are used in licensure decisions and oversight.
- Creates a new licensing framework for music therapists (Minnesota Statutes chapter 148H) and links it to existing license/discipline processes and background checks.
Practical implications
- People seeking licensure or renewal as music therapists (and related professions) would face mandatory state and national background checks plus a Chapter 245C background study.
- The state would monitor new criminal activity by licensees and report it to the health services agency to inform licensure status and enforcement.
tangibles and constraints
- The bill mentions establishing licensing fees and civil penalties, but specific fee amounts or penalty details are not provided in the excerpt.
- The changes would affect how music therapists are credentialed and how their professional history is reviewed over time.
Summary of affected terms
- music therapist
- licensure / license
- civil penalties
- fees
- Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.0572 subdivision 1
- Minnesota Statutes chapter 148H
- criminal history background check
- Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)
- FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- national criminal history records check
- hearing instrument dispenser
- audiologist
- speech-language pathologist
- speech-language pathology assistant
- background study
- Chapter 245C
Relevant Terms music therapist; licensure; civil penalties; fees; Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.0572 subdivision 1; Minnesota Statutes chapter 148H; criminal history background check; Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA); FBI; national criminal history records check; hearing instrument dispenser; audiologist; speech-language pathologist; speech-language pathology assistant; background study; Chapter 245C
Bill text versions
- Introduction PDF PDF file
Actions
| Date | Chamber | Where | Type | Name | Committee Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 18, 2026 | House | Action | Introduction and first reading, referred to | Health Finance and Policy |
Citations
[
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Criminal history background checks for initial licensure, temporary licensure, or relicensure for audiologists, speech-language pathologists, music therapists, and hearing instrument dispensers.",
"Criminal history background checks for renewal licenses or certificates for those licensed before January 1, 2018.",
"A background study requirement under Minnesota Statutes chapter 245C.",
"A requirement that the background checks be structured to flag any new crimes committed after the initial background check in state (BCA) and federal (FBI) databases and to report those findings back to the commissioner of human services."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill amends Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.0572, subdivision 1 to require criminal history background checks for individuals applying for initial licensure, temporary licensure, or relicensure in audiology, speech-language pathology, music therapy, or hearing instrument dispensing; for renewal licenses/certificates for those licensed before January 1, 2018; requires a background study under chapter 245C; and directs the background checks to be structured so that any new crimes after the initial check are flagged in state and federal databases and reported back to the commissioner of human services.",
"modified": [
"Amendment of 144.0572, subdivision 1 to include these background check provisions."
]
},
"citation": "144.0572",
"subdivision": "subdivision 1"
},
{
"analysis": {
"added": [
"Requirement that a background study be conducted under chapter 245C for applicable licensure processes."
],
"removed": [],
"summary": "The bill references Minnesota Statutes chapter 245C as the framework for background studies in relation to licensure.",
"modified": []
},
"citation": "245C",
"subdivision": ""
}
]Progress through the legislative process
In Committee