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<REGINFO_RIN_DATA xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" RUN_DATE="2026-04-30-04:00" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/xml/REGINFO_XML_Ver10262011.xsd">
    <RIN_INFO>
        <RIN>0720-AB55</RIN>
        <PUBLICATION>
            <PUBLICATION_ID>201110</PUBLICATION_ID>
            <PUBLICATION_TITLE>The Regulatory Plan and the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions</PUBLICATION_TITLE>
        </PUBLICATION>
        <AGENCY>
            <CODE>0720</CODE>
            <NAME>Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>DODOASHA</ACRONYM>
        </AGENCY>
        <PARENT_AGENCY>
            <CODE>0700</CODE>
            <NAME>Department of Defense</NAME>
            <ACRONYM>DOD</ACRONYM>
        </PARENT_AGENCY>
        <RULE_TITLE>TRICARE: Certified Mental Health Counselors</RULE_TITLE>
        <ABSTRACT><![CDATA[This rule is submitted as an interim final rule (IFR) in order to meet the Congressional requirement set forth in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, Section 724, which required the Department of Defense to prescribe regulations by June 20, 2011, to establish the criteria, as had previously been studied in accordance with Section 717 of the NDAA 2008,  that would allow licensed or certified mental health counselors to be able to independently provide care to TRICARE beneficiaries and receive payment for those services.  Under current TRICARE requirements, mental health counselors (MHCs) are authorized to practice only with physician referral and supervision.  This interim final rule establishes a transition period to phase out the requirement for physician referral and supervision for MHCs and to create a new category of allied health professionals, to be known as certified mental health counselors (CMHCs), who will be authorized to practice independently under TRICARE.]]></ABSTRACT>
        <PRIORITY_CATEGORY>Other Significant</PRIORITY_CATEGORY>
        <RIN_STATUS>First Time Published in The Unified Agenda</RIN_STATUS>
        <RULE_STAGE>Final Rule Stage</RULE_STAGE>
        <MAJOR>No</MAJOR>
        <UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
            <UNFUNDED_MANDATE>No</UNFUNDED_MANDATE>
        </UNFUNDED_MANDATE_LIST>
        <CFR_LIST>
            <CFR>32 CFR 199</CFR>
        </CFR_LIST>
        <LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>5 USC 301</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
            <LEGAL_AUTHORITY>10 USC Chapter 55</LEGAL_AUTHORITY>
        </LEGAL_AUTHORITY_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_LIST>
            <LEGAL_DLINE_INFO>
                <DLINE_TYPE>Statutory</DLINE_TYPE>
                <DLINE_ACTION_STAGE>Final</DLINE_ACTION_STAGE>
                <DLINE_DATE>06/20/2011</DLINE_DATE>
                <DLINE_DESC>Section 724 of NDAA 2011</DLINE_DESC>
            </LEGAL_DLINE_INFO>
        </LEGAL_DLINE_LIST>
        <LEGAL_DLINE_OVERALL_DESC>Congressional requirement set forth in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, Section 724, which required the Department of Defense to prescribe regulations by June 20, 2011, to establish the criteria, as had previously been studied in accordance with Section 717 of the NDAA 2008,  that would allow licensed or certified mental health counselors to be able to independently provide care to TRICARE beneficiaries and receive payment for those services.</LEGAL_DLINE_OVERALL_DESC>
        <RPLAN_ENTRY>No</RPLAN_ENTRY>
        <TIMETABLE_LIST>
            <TIMETABLE>
                <TTBL_ACTION>Interim Final Rule</TTBL_ACTION>
                <TTBL_DATE>01/00/2012</TTBL_DATE>
            </TIMETABLE>
        </TIMETABLE_LIST>
        <RFA_REQUIRED>No</RFA_REQUIRED>
        <SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
            <SMALL_ENTITY>No</SMALL_ENTITY>
        </SMALL_ENTITY_LIST>
        <GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
            <GOVT_LEVEL>None</GOVT_LEVEL>
        </GOVT_LEVEL_LIST>
        <FEDERALISM>No</FEDERALISM>
        <ENERGY_AFFECTED>No</ENERGY_AFFECTED>
        <PRINT_PAPER>No</PRINT_PAPER>
        <INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>No</INTERNATIONAL_INTEREST>
        <AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
            <CONTACT>
                <FIRST_NAME>Patricia</FIRST_NAME>
                <LAST_NAME>Moseley</LAST_NAME>
                <AGENCY>
                    <CODE>0720</CODE>
                    <NAME>Office of Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs</NAME>
                    <ACRONYM>DODOASHA</ACRONYM>
                </AGENCY>
                <PHONE>703 681-0064</PHONE>
                <MAILING_ADDRESS>
                    <STREET_ADDRESS>Defense Pentagon,</STREET_ADDRESS>
                    <CITY>Washington</CITY>
                    <STATE>DC</STATE>
                    <ZIP>22301</ZIP>
                </MAILING_ADDRESS>
            </CONTACT>
        </AGENCY_CONTACT_LIST>
    </RIN_INFO>
</REGINFO_RIN_DATA>
