On June 1st, PCA members and GRC leadership fanned out across the state Capitol for a full day of meetings with legislators and staff. 🤝 In these meetings, they covered everything from the Counseling Compact and LAPC insurance credentialing to AI regulation in mental health. 🧠

A few highlights from Hill Day 2026 🏛️: 

✨ Building support for the Compact & student financial support — Members met with Sen. Scott Hutchinson, Rep. Brett Miller (a former school counselor himself!), Rep. Kristine Howard's office, and Sen. John Kane's office, discussing the Compact alongside HB 1707 (the SWEET Act, requesting that counseling students be included in the bill) and SB 900 (SUD Counselor Loan Forgiveness). 🎓 GRC leadership met with Rep. Greg Scott, a strong mental health advocate, about a grant program for future LCSWs, LMFTs, and LPCs. 💰 He shared next steps for getting HB 1790 through committee.

🔔LAPC credentialing push — GRC leadership met with staff from Sen. Michele Brooks' and Sen. Art Haywood's offices, the House Insurance Committee, and the House Professional Licensure Committee to advance LAPC credentialing with Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurers. 🏥

🤖 Strengthening AI guardrails — GRC leadership met with staff for the House Communications & Technology Committee and House Democratic Policy Committee to press for stronger protections in HB 2006, including provisions to prevent AI chatbots from validating suicidal or homicidal ideation and requiring referrals when abuse or violence is disclosed. 🛡️

✊Broader advocacy for minoritized populations — Conversations also touched on protecting LGBTQ Pennsylvanians, Pennsylvanians facing loss of healthcare subsidies, and how legislators can help protect immigrant communities. 🌍

OTHER AREAS OF ADVOCACY THIS YEAR: 🗓️

⚖️ Philadelphia BIRT Tax Reform — Mobilized PCA members in Philly-area to contact city councilmembers regarding new tax burdens imposed after elimination of a small business exemption. 📉

🔍 CAQH / DataSpring monitoring — Watching the consolidation of the CAQH nonprofit credentialing platform under private insurers; working with ACA on provider data transparency concerns. 🧐

💸 Private payer clawbacks — Responding to member reports of significant clawbacks from private payers by working with legislative allies to introduce legislation modeled on a recent Ohio law which requires more transparency and other protections related to clawbacks. 🛡️

📜 HB 1611 Older Adult Protective Services Act — Collaborating with PA Provider Advocacy Coalition (PAPAC) regarding implementation timelines and workforce requirements outlined in the bill. 👵

PCA members’ voices shape what we prioritize. 

That is why it is so important to make them heard through our Legislative Advocacy Needs Survey!📢

If you haven't already, please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your input directly informs where the GRC focuses its energy.

CONFERENCE UPDATES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Registration for the 58th Annual PCA Conference is OPEN! Please use this link to register using our event platform, SCHED: https://2026pca58.sched.com/registration 

Early Bird Pricing is in effect through 9/15/26!

Student Registration Pricing will remain the same through the conference.

PCA Members -- you will be asked to confirm your membership number in the registration form. This number can be found in the upper right corner, just after your name, when you login to the "members only" section of the PCA Website.

Not a PCA Member?! Go to the PCA Website to join and take advantage of members only pricing!

Pre-Conference Institutes -- PS-SAIGE and PASERVIC will offer Pre-Conference institutes this year! Both will take place on Friday 11/6 from 9AM-12PM.

• PS-SAIGE Pre-Conference - "Queer Sexual Embodiment: Unpacking Intersectional Narratives and Re-Visioning Pleasure"
• PASERVIC Pre-Conference - "Embracing landscapes of Change: Integrating values, meaning, and purpose in times of transition"

Bringing a Guest? -- All guests wishing to attend the PCA Awards Luncheon on Saturday 11/7 must have purchased a guest ticket to attend.

Call for Exhibitors and Sponsors: 

The Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA) is excited to invite you to partner with us as a sponsor or exhibitor at our 2026 Annual Conference, which is taking place November 5-8th, 2026 in State College, PA.  Each year, our conference brings together approximately 400 counseling professionals and students from across the state of Pennsylvania to learn, connect, and grow!

This year, we are offering a range of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities designed to showcase your organization to our statewide network of counselors, educators, and students.  As a sponsor or exhibitor, you will gain visibility through recognitions at events, marketing, platforms, and exclusive opportunities to engage with attendees.

The exhibitor and sponsor application can be accessed here: https://forms.gle/32aeAPVKY1RQPmRz8

Call for Awards Nominations: 

The Pennsylvania Counseling Association is pleased to Invite Award Nominations

Deadline: 11:59pm – Sunday, September 6, 2026

This is the call for nominations to honor the hard work, commitment, and dedication of Pennsylvania counselors, students, supervisors, and programs. Please consider nominating a colleague, program, or graduate student for an award. The award categories are listed below. Winners will be announced during the 2026 PCA Conference November 5-8, 2026, in State College, PA.

Submissions of award nominations will go through an online portal located here: https://forms.gle/k9Sw6tJCNoFsBJBT9

The Hotel Booking Link for the Penn State Hotel and Conference Center is Live! You can click here to reserve your room for the conference: https://reservations.travelclick.com/9877123?groupID=5136230

Full Conference Information can be found on the PCA Conference Page.