Does the new law specifically list psychology degrees as professional or exempt them from the category?

1. What the Florida change actually says — an accreditor was added

Florida legislation described in the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling briefing amends licensure-entry language to add the “Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council” (and other equivalent accreditors) to the list of accepted program accreditors for mental health therapy licensure by examination, effective upon becoming law; the page repeats that starting July 1, 2025 applicants must graduate from a CACREP‑accredited program but notes the bill adds the new accrediting body as accepted ^[1]. That language deals with which graduate programs meet counseling licensure educational standards — it does not read, in the supplied excerpt, as a blanket listing or exemption of “psychology degrees” from a broader professional category ^[1].

2. Counseling rules vs. psychology licensure — different tracks

The materials show a recurring theme: counseling licensure reforms and interstate compacts are tightening and standardizing education/crediting (for example CACREP accreditation, semester-hour minimums, and compact privileges), whereas psychology licensure remains governed by traditional state-by-state doctoral degree and examination requirements ^{[3] [2]}. Research.com’s summary of U.S. psychology licensure requirements emphasizes doctoral-level degrees (PhD/PsyD) and EPPP/ethics exams as the typical path to psychology licensure, underscoring that “psychology” licensure is usually separate and more doctoral-focused than counseling pathways ^[2].

3. No supplied source lists “psychology degrees” as an explicit exempt category

None of the provided snippets show statutory text that declares “psychology degrees” are expressly professional or exempt from a named statutory category (available sources do not mention a law that specifically lists psychology degrees as professional/exempt in the phrasing you used) ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Some state materials do discuss exemptions in narrow contexts — for example, New York’s continuing-education exemptions for newly licensed psychologists — but that’s not the same as designating a degree itself as an exempt professional category ^[5].

4. How rule changes can look like “listing” or “exempting” — practical effects

When a statute or rule names accepted accrediting bodies or authorized program titles, the practical result can feel like “listing” or “excluding” certain degrees: Florida’s inclusion of an additional accreditor makes some master’s programs clearly acceptable for counselor licensure, while other states’ proposals (e.g., Georgia’s suggested restriction to clinical mental health counseling or counseling psychology degrees) could limit which degrees qualify for licensure if adopted ^{[1] [3]}. That is, specifying accreditors or permitted program titles achieves the same outcome as naming degrees, even if the statute doesn’t literally say “psychology degree is exempt” ^{[1] [3]}.

5. State-by-state variation and where to look next

Psychology licensure is largely governed by state boards with differing degree and supervision rules; Research.com’s state-by-state overview underscores this variability and the general pattern that psychology licensure expects doctoral credentials and EPPP passage ^[2]. If your question targets a specific bill or state, the supplied sources suggest you should inspect that state’s bill text or the board’s summary — for Florida, HB 1521 and the Board’s webpage show the accreditor change ^[1]. For other states, look for board rule proposals (e.g., Georgia’s counseling board proposals discussed in the 50‑state analysis) or the state psychology board’s laws/regulations ^{[3] [4]}.

6. Bottom line and recommended follow-up

Bottom line: the provided reporting documents changes to accrediting recognition for counseling programs and reiterates that psychology licensure norms remain doctoral-centric, but none of the supplied sources presents a law that explicitly lists or exempts “psychology degrees” as a professional/exempt class in the manner you asked (available sources do not mention that specific listing/exemption) ^{[1] [2] [3]}. To resolve your question precisely, identify the exact statute or bill text and jurisdiction you mean and consult that bill’s full text or the relevant state board announcement (for Florida start with HB 1521 and the Board page provided) ^[1].