State Recognition for Pennsylvania
Recognized? No
Recognition Status: With additional education and clinical training, music therapists are eligible to apply for counseling license.
Active Task Force? Yes
Year Started: 2006
Task Force Status:Currently in the 2023-2024 session, bills for Music Therapy Licensure have been introduced, hoping to get them out of committee. The two bills looking for movement are Rep. Pashinski’s HB1356 and Senator Vogel’s SB 898. The Task Force attended and provided testimony and defense during a House Licensure Committee Hearing at Duquesne University in August of 2023. The Task Force held Hill Days at the Capitol in Harrisburg in November 2023 and May 2024. In March of 2024 the Task Force submitted comments for the Pennsylvania Master Plan for Older Adults, Aging Our Way, PA. In June 2024 legislators observed music therapy in action at Elizabethtown College. The Task Force is currently working on a Coalition List of supporters to share with Legislators and the Governor and will be re-submitting their Sunrise Review for the new Administration. There is a call to action for Pennsylvanians to reach out to their local legislators and urge them to have the Senate and House pass the licensure bills.
Task Force Contact Name: Nicole Hahna and Madison Frank
Task Force Contact Email: pastate.task.force@gmail.com
Task Force Members: Zacharia Arsalane (Student Representative), Kristine Becker, Madison Frank, Nicole Hahna, Julie Schlosser, Bethany Wentling
Task Force Facebook: Music Therapy PA State Task Force
State Association: pamusictherapy.org
State Association Facebook:
Regional Association: www.mar-amta.org
State Legislative Activity:
Below you will find a link to an online report with information about state-level bills that include the keyword “music therapy.” There may or may not be a bill for your state. Some bills may have a direct impact on the profession (e.g. music therapy licensure legislation) while others may not (e.g. music therapy is included in a pre-existing list of healthcare providers).
Information is provided by Fiscal Note, a subscription service that allows CBMT to follow state and federal legislative and regulatory developments. This resource is provided for informational purposes to help you stay informed on legislative and policy issues impacting music therapy practice. Please contact your task force chair with questions and before taking any action.