For purposes of school accreditation, a school may employ as a school counselor only a person who holds a school counselor credential or a provisional school counselor credential as outlined in this chapter or who has been authorized by the education Standard and practices board in that specialty at a level the department determines meets or exceeds the requirements of this chapter and is consistent with the North Dakota teacher education program approval Standard 2004 with 2006 revisions adopted by the education Standard and practices board.

Notwithstanding any other law, guidance and counseling services at the elementary and secondary school level may be provided by a person holding a graduate degree in counseling from a state-approved school counseling program, with coursework and an internship in school counseling, as required for all counselors by the superintendent of public instruction, provided the person has a North Dakota teaching license or will obtain one within seven years from the date of first employment under this section. The board shall conduct a criminal history record check in accordance with section 12-60-24 on each person hired under this section. All costs associated with a background check are the responsibility of the person being hired. The board shall monitor a person hired under this section to ensure that the person annually completes at least one-seventh of the total credits required for that person to obtain a teaching license, as determined at the time of employment under this section.