North Carolina Sen. Burgin regulatory relief bill for psychologists passes House and Senate

Passed bill sponsored by State Sen. Jim Burgin aims to reduce regulatory burdens on master’s level psychologists and increase access to mental health care in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina State Senate.

In the House, 46 Democrats and 60 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 17 Democrats and 28 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while one Democrat voted against it.

Burgin filed the bill in the North Carolina Senate on Feb. 25 during the 2025 regular session.

The legislation, known as SB 171, was passed on June 11 during the 2025 regular session.

According to the North Carolina General Assembly site, the bill’s official text was formally listed with the short title: “Pract. Transparency/Reagan’s Law/Sam’s Law.”

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill aims to reduce the regulatory burden on master’s level psychologists in North Carolina and increase access to mental health care. It amends supervision requirements, allowing licensed psychological associates to engage in independent practice if they have completed 3,000 hours of supervised postgraduate experience within a timeframe of 24 to 60 months and submit an application proving such experience. The Psychology Board may approve independent practice status upon meeting these criteria. Additionally, it enables associates without health services provider certification to gain such certification following the completion of specified requirements. Changes to the board’s structure include ensuring diverse geographic representation and the process of appointing board members by the governor. This act is effective Oct. 1, 2025, except where otherwise specified.

The bill was sponsored only by Sen. Jim Burgin (Republican-12th District).

Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Burgin graduated from The University of Tennessee Knoxville with a BS.

Burgin, a Republican, was elected to the North Carolina State Senate in 2019 to represent the state’s 12th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Ronald Rabin.

Under North Carolina law, bills must receive three readings in each chamber. According to the UNC School of Government, once a bill “passes its constitutionally required second reading and moves to its constitutionally required third reading,” additional debate can occur, but the final stage is often treated as a formality. Unless a legislator requests a roll-call, the third reading may be approved by voice vote or unanimous consent without a separate recorded tally.