LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Effective Jan. 1, 2026, Nevada is a member of the Counseling Compact, which allows licensed professional counselors the ability to seek the privilege to practice in the other compact member states.
Nearly 40 other states and jurisdictions are a part of this compact now.
I looked into how this interstate agreement could improve access to professional counseling help for Nevadans struggling with their mental health.
AB 163 was signed into law by Gov. Joe Lombardo on June 10, 2025, and officially goes into effect at the start of 2026, making Nevada a member of the Counseling Compact.
It allows professional counselors licensed and residing in a member state to practice in other member states without the need for multiple licenses.
I spoke with Dr. Sid Khurana, the medical director at Nevada Mental Health, about what this new law could mean for Southern Nevada.
"I think overall it's going to be a positive impact. It's going to break down barriers to access, which is one of the biggest barriers to mental health is, we don't have enough therapists. COVID supercharged, super-fueled this problem," Dr. Khurana said.
According to a 2025 report from the Nevada Health Workforce Research Center, an estimated 3.1 million Nevadans — 91.3% of the state's population — reside in a federally designated mental health professional shortage area, or HPSA.
Dr. Khurana said his practice is one of the state's largest providers of psychiatry services, but medicine isn't the be-all and end-all, and they have a difficult time connecting their patients to therapists and counselors who can also supplement and support their patients' mental health journeys.
"Our population is growing, but correspondingly, our availability of professional services is not keeping up with that. We were already underserved, and now our population is growing, we are becoming more underserved for some of these key services. By having these compacts in place, it will improve access, it will improve services," Dr. Khurana said. "People will get licensed or will get privileges to be able to practice, and more people will be able to seek care."
Counseling Compact advocates say this agreement will reduce the time it takes for counselors to get authorized in other states, and improve mobility for providers as well as access for patients.
Dr. Khurana added that while this compact can help address workforce challenges, there are many factors that come into play when it comes to access to mental health support, like health insurance.
He also said that while it's good for counselors to have the flexibility to move to different jurisdictions, it's also important that they're educated about the various regions they're serving, as attitudes and stigmas surrounding mental health vary from place to place, and so do the needs and issues of the populations they're serving.
The Counseling Compact was funded and created by the American Counseling Association and was finalized in December 2020. Various legislation to join the compact have since been passed by dozens of states. With the passage of AB 163 earlier this year, Nevada became the 38th state and the 39th jurisdiction to join.
"We do not have enough counselors or therapists who take insurance and can help people in a meaningful way. So having this avenue available from January onwards will be a huge help to Nevadans," Dr. Khurana said.
So far, our neighbor to the south, Arizona, and Minnesota are the first two states to complete the technical and regulatory steps necessary for implementation of the Counseling Compact. Dozens of other states are completing the steps needed to begin issuing and receiving privileges under the Counseling Compact. We'll stay on top of Nevada's implementation process.
Here's a look at some of the other laws we've covered that go into effect Jan. 1:
