Amended  IN  Senate  June 21, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 723


Introduced by Assembly Member Low

February 16, 2021


An act to amend Section 4980.02 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. Section 12804.9 of the Vehicle Code, relating to driver’s licenses.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 723, as amended, Low. Marriage and family therapy: scope of practice. Foreign driver’s licenses.
Existing law prohibits a person from having in the person’s possession or otherwise under the person’s control more than one driver’s license. Existing law prohibits the Department of Motor Vehicles from issuing a driver’s license, or renewing a driver’s license, of a person who holds a valid driver’s license issued by a foreign jurisdiction unless the license has been surrendered to the department, or is lost or destroyed. Except as specified, existing law requires the department to require an applicant for an original driver’s license to submit satisfactory proof of California residency and that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law.
Existing law requires the department, upon application for an original driver’s license, except a student license, to require an examination of the applicant. Existing law requires the examination to test, among other things, the applicant’s knowledge and understanding of the provisions of the Vehicle Code governing the operation of vehicles upon the highways, an actual demonstration of the applicant’s ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in operating a motor vehicle by driving it under the supervision of an examining officer, and a test of the hearing and eyesight of the applicant, as specified. Existing law authorizes the department to waive the driving test part of the examination for an applicant who submits a license issued by another state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico if the department verifies through any acknowledged national driver record data source that there are no stops, holds, or other impediments to its issuance.
This bill would authorize the department, for purposes of the issuance of a noncommercial class C driver’s license, to the extent not prohibited by federal law or treaty, to waive the driving test part of the examination for an applicant who submits a driver’s license issued by a foreign nation, as defined, under specified conditions, including a requirement that the foreign nation, in a memorandum of understanding, extends the same reciprocal privilege relating to the issuance of a driver’s license to a person who holds a valid California driver’s license. The bill would require an applicant to be 18 years of age or older, to submit satisfactory proof of California residency and specified documents issued by the foreign nation, and to have no stops, holds, or other impediments to issuance in the person’s driving record. The bill would specify that an applicant may submit a driver’s license issued by a foreign nation that is equivalent to a noncommercial or a commercial class A, class B, or class C California driver’s license, but would require the California driver’s license issued by the department to the applicant to be a noncommercial class C driver’s license only.

Existing law, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act, provides for the regulation of the practice of marriage and family therapy by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. A violation of the act is a crime.

Existing law defines the practice of marriage and family therapy as that service performed with individuals, couples, or groups wherein interpersonal relationships are examined for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying, and productive marriage and family adjustments, including relationship and premarriage counseling. Existing law also specifies how marriage and family therapy principles may be applied, including, among others, psychotherapeutic techniques and the use, application, and integration of coursework and training required for licensed marriage and family therapists.

This bill would recast those provisions to include within this scope of practice the application of psychotherapeutic and family systems and theories, principles, and methods in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, or groups in order to assess evaluate, and treat relational issues, emotional disorders, behavioral problems, mental illness, alcohol and substance use, and to modify intrapersonal and interpersonal behaviors. The bill would make conforming changes relating to the various ways in which marriage and family therapy principles may be applied.

By expanding the scope of practice for marriage and family therapists and thus expanding the application and breadth of the related crimes, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would declare that these provisions are declaratory of existing law and would also declare the intent of the Legislature that this bill not be construed to expand or constrict the scope of practice of a licensed marriage and family therapist.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YESNO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 12804.9 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read:

12804.9.
 (a) (1) The examination shall include all of the following:
(A) A test of the applicant’s knowledge and understanding of the provisions of this code governing the operation of vehicles upon the highways.
(B) A test of the applicant’s ability to read and understand simple English used in highway traffic and directional signs.
(C) A test of the applicant’s understanding of traffic signs and signals, including the bikeway signs, markers, and traffic control devices established by the Department of Transportation.
(D) An actual demonstration of the applicant’s ability to exercise ordinary and reasonable control in operating a motor vehicle by driving it under the supervision of an examining officer. The applicant shall submit to an examination appropriate to the type of motor vehicle or combination of vehicles the applicant desires a license to drive, except that the department may waive the driving test part of the examination for any applicant who submits a license issued by another state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico if the department verifies through any acknowledged national driver record data source that there are no stops, holds, or other impediments to its issuance. The examining officer may request to see evidence of financial responsibility for the vehicle before supervising the demonstration of the applicant’s ability to operate the vehicle. The examining officer may refuse to examine an applicant who is unable to provide proof of financial responsibility for the vehicle, unless proof of financial responsibility is not required by this code.
(E) A test of the hearing and eyesight of the applicant, and of other matters that may be necessary to determine the applicant’s mental and physical fitness to operate a motor vehicle upon the highways, and whether any grounds exist for refusal of a license under this code.
(2) (A) Before a class A or class B driver’s license, or class C driver’s license with a commercial endorsement, may be issued or renewed, the applicant shall have in the applicant’s driver record a valid report of a medical examination of the applicant given not more than two years before the date of the application by a health care professional. As used in this paragraph, “health care professional” means a person who is licensed, certified, or registered in accordance with applicable state laws and regulations to practice medicine and perform physical examinations in the United States. Health care professionals are doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathy, physician assistants, and registered advanced practice nurses, or doctors of chiropractic who are clinically competent to perform the medical examination presently required of motor carrier drivers by the United States Department of Transportation. The report shall be on a form approved by the department. In establishing the requirements, consideration may be given to the standards presently required of motor carrier drivers by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
(B) The department may accept a federal waiver of one or more physical qualification standards if the waiver is accompanied by a report of a nonqualifying medical examination for a class A or class B driver’s license, or class C driver’s license with a commercial endorsement, pursuant to Section 391.41(a)(3)(ii) of Subpart E of Part 391 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(3) A physical defect of the applicant that, in the opinion of the department, is compensated for to ensure safe driving ability, shall not prevent the issuance of a license to the applicant.
(b) In accordance with the following classifications, an applicant for a driver’s license shall be required to submit to an examination appropriate to the type of motor vehicle or combination of vehicles the applicant desires a license to drive:
(1) Class A includes the following:
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (H) of paragraph (3), a combination of vehicles, if a vehicle being towed has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds.
(B) A vehicle towing more than one vehicle.
(C) A trailer bus.
(D) The operation of all vehicles under class B and class C.
(2) Class B includes the following:
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (H) of paragraph (3), a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds.
(B) A single vehicle with three or more axles, except any three-axle vehicle weighing less than 6,000 pounds.
(C) A bus with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds, except a trailer bus.
(D) A farm labor vehicle.
(E) A single vehicle with three or more axles or a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds towing another vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less.
(F) A house car over 40 feet in length, excluding safety devices and safety bumpers.
(G) The operation of all vehicles covered under class C.
(3) Class C includes the following:
(A) A two-axle vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less, including when the vehicle is towing a trailer or semitrailer with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing a trailer coach not exceeding 9,000 pounds gross.
(C) A house car of 40 feet in length or less.
(D) A three-axle vehicle weighing 6,000 pounds gross or less.
(E) A house car of 40 feet in length or less or a vehicle towing another vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, including when a tow dolly is used. A person driving a vehicle may not tow another vehicle in violation of Section 21715.
(F) (i) A two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing either a trailer coach or a fifth-wheel travel trailer not exceeding 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, when the towing of the trailer is not for compensation.
(ii) A two-axle vehicle weighing 4,000 pounds or more unladen when towing a fifth-wheel travel trailer exceeding 10,000 pounds, but not exceeding 15,000 pounds, gross vehicle weight rating, when the towing of the trailer is not for compensation, and if the person has passed a specialized written examination provided by the department relating to the knowledge of this code and other safety aspects governing the towing of recreational vehicles upon the highway.
The authority to operate combinations of vehicles under this subparagraph may be granted by endorsement on a class C license upon completion of that written examination.
(G) A vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating or a gross vehicle weight rating, as those terms are defined in subdivisions (j) and (k), respectively, of Section 15210, of 26,000 pounds or less, if all of the following conditions are met:
(i) Is operated by a farmer, an employee of a farmer, or an instructor credentialed in agriculture as part of an instructional program in agriculture at the high school, community college, or university level.
(ii) Is used exclusively in the conduct of agricultural operations.
(iii) Is not used in the capacity of a for-hire carrier or for compensation.
(H) Firefighting equipment, provided that the equipment is operated by a person who holds a firefighter endorsement pursuant to Section 12804.11.
(I) A motorized scooter.
(J) A bus with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less, except a trailer bus.
(K) Class C does not include a two-wheel motorcycle or a two-wheel motor-driven cycle.
(4) Class M1. A two-wheel motorcycle or a motor-driven cycle. Authority to operate a vehicle included in a class M1 license may be granted by endorsement on a class A, B, or C license upon completion of an appropriate examination.
(5) (A) Class M2 includes a motorized bicycle or moped, or a bicycle with an attached motor, except an electric bicycle as described in subdivision (a) of Section 312.5.
(B) Authority to operate vehicles included in class M2 may be granted by endorsement on a class A, B, or C license upon completion of an appropriate examination. Persons holding a class M1 license or endorsement may operate vehicles included in class M2 without further examination.
(c) A driver’s license or driver certificate is not valid for operating a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210, any other motor vehicle defined in paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (b), or any other vehicle requiring a driver to hold any driver certificate or any driver’s license endorsement under Section 15275, unless a medical certificate approved by the department that has been issued within two years of the date of the operation of that vehicle and a copy of the medical examination report from which the certificate was issued is on file with the department. Otherwise, the license is valid only for operating class C vehicles that are not commercial vehicles, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210, and for operating class M1 or M2 vehicles, if so endorsed, that are not commercial vehicles, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 15210.
(d) A license or driver certificate issued before the enactment of Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 15200) is valid to operate the class or type of vehicles specified under the law in existence before that enactment until the license or certificate expires or is otherwise suspended, revoked, or canceled. Upon application for renewal or replacement of a driver’s license, endorsement, or certificate required to operate a commercial motor vehicle, a valid medical certificate on a form approved by the department shall be submitted to the department.
(e) The department may accept a certificate of driving skill that is issued by an employer, authorized by the department to issue a certificate under Section 15250, of the applicant, in lieu of a driving test, on class A or B applications, if the applicant has first qualified for a class C license and has met the other examination requirements for the license for which the applicant is applying. The certificate may be submitted as evidence of the applicant’s skill in the operation of the types of equipment covered by the license for which the applicant is applying.
(f) The department may accept a certificate of competence in lieu of a driving test on class M1 or M2 applications, when the certificate is issued by a law enforcement agency for its officers who operate class M1 or M2 vehicles in their duties, if the applicant has met the other examination requirements for the license for which the applicant is applying.
(g) The department may accept a certificate of satisfactory completion of a motorcyclist training program approved by the commissioner pursuant to Section 2932 in lieu of a driving test on class M1 or M2 applications, if the applicant has met the other examination requirements for the license for which the applicant is applying. The department shall review and approve the written and driving test used by a program to determine whether the program may issue a certificate of completion.
(h) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), a person holding a valid California driver’s license of any class may operate a short-term rental motorized bicycle without taking any special examination for the operation of a motorized bicycle, and without having a class M2 endorsement on that license. As used in this subdivision, “short-term” means 48 hours or less.
(i) A person under 21 years of age shall not be issued a class M1 or M2 license or endorsement unless the person provides evidence satisfactory to the department of completion of a novice motorcycle safety training program that is operated pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 2930) of Chapter 5 of Division 2.
(j) A driver of a vanpool vehicle may operate with a class C license but shall possess evidence of a medical examination required for a class B license when operating vanpool vehicles. In order to be eligible to drive the vanpool vehicle, the driver shall keep in the vanpool vehicle a statement, signed under penalty of perjury, that the driver has not been convicted of reckless driving, drunk driving, or a hit-and-run offense in the last five years.
(k) (1) For purposes of the issuance of a noncommercial class C driver’s license, notwithstanding subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (a), and to the extent not prohibited by federal law or treaty, the department may waive the driving test part of the examination for an applicant who submits a driver’s license issued by a foreign nation under all of the following conditions:
(A) The department has determined the driving examination required by the foreign nation is substantially similar to the driving examination required by the department.
(B) The foreign nation, in a memorandum of understanding, extends the same reciprocal privilege relating to the issuance of a driver’s license to a person who holds a valid California driver’s license.
(C) The department verifies through the applicant’s abstract of driving record provided pursuant to subparagraph (D) that there are no stops, holds, or other impediments to the issuance of a driver’s license.
(D) The applicant has submitted a copy of the applicant’s foreign driver’s license and an abstract of the applicant’s foreign driving record covering no less than the previous five years, issued by the appropriate government entity from the foreign nation and, if applicable, the English translation of the driver’s license and abstract of driving record. These documents shall all be notarized by a consulate general of the issuing foreign nation in this state.
(E) The applicant is 18 years of age or older.
(F) The applicant has submitted satisfactory proof of California residency.
(G) The driver’s license issued by the foreign nation has been surrendered to the department or has been destroyed.
(2) For purposes of this subdivision, an applicant may submit a driver’s license issued by a foreign nation that is equivalent to a noncommercial or a commercial class A, class B, or class C California driver’s license, but the California driver’s license issued by the department to the applicant shall be a noncommercial class C driver’s license only.
(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “foreign nation” means any jurisdiction other than a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

SECTION 1.Section 4980.02 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:
4980.02.

(a)For the purposes of this chapter, the practice of marriage and family therapy shall mean the application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories, principles, and methods in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, or groups in order to assess, evaluate, and treat relational issues, emotional disorders, behavioral problems, mental illness, alcohol and substance use, and to modify intrapersonal and interpersonal behaviors.

(b)The application of marriage and family therapy principles and methods includes, but is not limited to, all of the following:

(1)Assessment, evaluation, and prognosis.

(2)Treatment, planning, and evaluation.

(3)Individual, relationship, family, or group therapeutic interventions.

(4)Relational therapy.

(5)Psychotherapy.

(6)Client education.

(7)Clinical case management.

(8)Consultation.

(9)Supervision.

(10)Use, application, and integration of the coursework and training required by Sections 4980.36, 4980.37, and 4980.41, as applicable.

SEC. 2.

The amendments to Section 4980.02 of the Business and Professions Code made by this act do not constitute a change in, but are declaratory of, existing law. It is the intent of the Legislature that this act shall not be construed to expand or constrict the existing scope of practice of a person licensed pursuant to Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.

SEC. 3.

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.