The New York State Education Department (NYSED) amended policy Part 100.2(j) (July 2017) which impacted school counselor practice, preparation, and credentialing for the first time since 1978. With implementation scheduled to begin in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic derailed the process just as it was getting underway. New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) requested a one-year deferment to develop and implement an ongoing, city-wide plan for professional development for the 3,000+ school counselors. Through a retrospective pre-post survey design, school counselors compared their perspectives prior to the effective date of implementation to their current practice four years after the amended regulations took effect. The results suggested that regulatory changes are but one step on the journey from policy initiative to the achievement of their intended outcomes.