School Counselor Credit Hour Requirements
Summary
Colorado General Assembly passed SB153, establishing new minimum graduate credit hour requirements for licensed school counselors seeking special services licensure with a school counselor endorsement. The bill was signed by Governor Jared Polis on March 31, 2026, during the 2026 Regular Session.
What changed
Colorado SB153 establishes minimum credit hour requirements for school counselor licensure under special services licensure with a school counselor endorsement. The bill modifies graduate academic requirements for licensed school counselors in Colorado's K-12 educational system.
Educational institutions and school districts employing school counselors should review current staff credentials against the new minimum credit hour standards established by this legislation. Schools should verify that counseling staff meet the new requirements before the law's effective date and update hiring practices accordingly. Counselors seeking endorsement may need to complete additional graduate coursework to satisfy the new requirements.
What to do next
- Review current school counselor credentials against new minimum credit hour requirements
- Update hiring practices to ensure candidates meet new licensure standards
- Ensure existing counseling staff satisfy new credit hour thresholds or develop compliance plans
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Colorado / SB153 Signed by Governor SB153 Senate Bill Signed by Governor 2026-03-31
Licensed School Counselor Credit Hour Requirements
Concerning graduate academic requirements for a licensed school counselor, and, in connection therewith, establishing a minimum number of credit hours required for special services licensure with a school counselor endorsement.
Bill Details
State Colorado
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Committee Education
Official Source leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-153
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Sponsors
Chris Kolker (Sen - D) Cleave Simpson (Sen - R) Jennifer Bacon (Rep - D) Matthew Martinez (Rep - D)
Action History
2026-03-31 S Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Education
Committee Referrals
2026-03-31 S Education
Bill Text Versions
1969-12-31 Introduced
Subjects
Education & School Finance (Pre & K-12) Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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