Amended  IN  Assembly  July 15, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  July 07, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  June 17, 2021
Amended  IN  Senate  April 13, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 801


Introduced by Senators Archuleta and Roth

February 19, 2021


An act to amend Sections 27, 2290.5, 2910, 2911, 2913, 2914, 2915, 2915.5, 2920, 2933, 2942, 2946, 2960, 2987, 4980.01, 4980.02, 4980.32, 4980.36, 4980.37, 4980.40, 4980.43.3, 4980.54, 4980.81, 4982, 4984.7, 4987.5, 4989.17, 4989.20, 4989.24, 4989.32, 4989.34, 4989.36, 4989.38, 4989.40, 4989.54, 4989.68, 4990, 4990.04, 4990.30, 4992.3, 4996.2, 4996.3, 4996.14, 4996.17.2, 4996.18, 4996.22, 4996.75, 4998, 4998.2, 4999.22, 4999.32, 4999.33, 4999.42, 4999.46.1, 4999.51, 4999.71, 4999.76, 4999.80, 4999.90, 4999.104, 4999.120, and 4999.123 of, to add Sections 2949, 2988.7, 4989.47, 4990.07, 4996.61, and 4996.62 to, and to repeal Sections 2909, 2909.5, 2915.7, 2944, and 4999.122 of, the Business and Professions Code, and to amend Section 1010 of the Evidence Code, relating to healing arts.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 801, as amended, Archuleta. Healing arts: Board of Behavioral Sciences: Board of Psychology: licensees.
Existing law, the Medical Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of medicine by the Medical Board of California and requires a health care provider initiating the use of telehealth to inform the patient, before the delivery of health care via telehealth, about the use of telehealth and obtain verbal or written consent from the patient for the use of telehealth as an acceptable mode of delivering health care services and public health. The act defines “health care provider” to include, among others, an associate marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapist trainee, as specified.
This bill would define health care provider to additionally include an associate clinical social worker and an associate professional clinical counselor, as specified.
Existing law establishes the Board of Behavioral Sciences within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and requires the board to license and regulate various registrants and licensees under the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (LMFTA), the Educational Psychologist Practice Act (EPPA), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (CSWPA), and the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (LPCCA). Existing law requires the board to appoint an executive officer with certain duties and powers related to the administration and enforcement of those acts. Existing law repeals the provisions relating to the establishment of the board and the appointment, duties, and powers of the executive officer on January 1, 2022.
This bill would extend those provisions until January 1, 2026.
Existing law authorizes the board to deny, suspend, or revoke a license or registration for unprofessional conduct, which includes, among other things, a conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant. Existing law authorizes the board to take that disciplinary action when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence, irrespective of a subsequent order under a specified provision allowing the person to withdraw a plea of guilty and enter a plea of not guilty or setting aside the verdict of guilty or dismissing the accusation, information, or indictment.
This bill, instead, would remove the specification that the board’s authority to take that disciplinary action at those times is irrespective of such an order, and would require the board to take the action pursuant to the provisions governing the denial, suspension, and revocation of licenses of boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
The LMFTA and LPCCA require applicants for licensure or registration to meet certain educational requirements, including, among others, training in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
This bill would include in those educational requirements training in prognosis, as specified.
The LPCCA authorizes a licensee to renew an expired license within 3 years of expiration if the licensee, among other requirements, pays all fees that would have been paid if the license had not become delinquent and all delinquency fees.
This bill would require that licensee to instead pay a two-year renewal fee prescribed by the board and a delinquency fee.
A violation of the LMFTA, EPPA, CSWPA, or LPCCA is a crime. The LMFTA, EPPA, CSWPA, and LPCCA all require a licensee or registrant, as provided, to provide a client with a certain notice written in at least 12-point type relating to a method for contacting the board regarding complaints about services provided by the applicable licensee prior to initiating services.
This bill, among other things, would revise that notice requirement to require the notice be delivered prior to initiating services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, and would require the delivery of the notice to be documented. The bill would also require an applicant, registrant, or licensee who has an electronic mail address to provide the board with that electronic mail address no later than July 1, 2022, and would require the electronic mail address to be considered confidential and not subject to public disclosure. Because the bill would expand the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
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 Psychology Licensing Law establishes the Board of Psychology to license and regulate the practice of psychology, and authorizes the board to employ all personnel necessary to carry out that law and to employ an executive officer, as specified. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2022.
This bill would extend the provisions establishing the board and authorizing the board to employ necessary personnel and an executive officer until January 1, 2026.
The Psychology Licensing Law, with certain exceptions, prohibits a person from engaging in the practice of psychology, or representing themselves to be a psychologist, without a license issued by the board. The Psychology Licensing Law requires an applicant for licensure to meet certain educational requirements, including, among others, possessing an earned doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, or education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology or educational psychology. The Psychology Licensing Law authorizes a person other than a licensed psychologist to perform psychological functions in preparation for licensure as a psychologist if certain requirements are met, including, among others, registering with the board as a “psychological assistant” and having completed a master’s or doctoral degree, or having been admitted to candidacy for a doctoral degree, in similar subjects required for licensure. The Psychology Licensing Law requires the psychological assistant to be at all times under the immediate supervision of a licensed psychologist, or a board certified psychiatrist, as specified.
This bill would rename the position of psychological assistant as registered psychological associate. The bill, among other things, would revise the qualifying subjects of the doctoral degree an applicant for licensure is required to have to include psychology with the field specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology, or education with the field specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school psychology. The bill would make similar revisions to the qualifying educational requirements for a registered psychological associate. The bill would revise the supervision requirements by, among other things, requiring a licensed psychologist to be the primary supervisor of the registered psychological associate and authorizing the primary supervisor to delegate supervision as prescribed by the board’s regulations.
The Psychology Licensing Law requires an applicant for licensure trained in an educational institution outside the United States or Canada to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board they possess a doctorate degree in psychology that is equivalent to a degree earned from a regionally accredited university in the United States or Canada by providing the board with a comprehensive evaluation of the degree performed by a foreign credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
This bill would additionally allow an applicant to demonstrate their degree is equivalent by having the National Register of Health Services Psychologists (NRHSP) evaluate the degree. The bill would require the evaluation to, among other things, include a transcript in English, or translated into English by the credential evaluation service, of the degree. The bill would require the evaluation to be submitted directly to the board by a member of the NACES or NRHSP.
The Psychology Licensing Law provides that a person with specified education and training employed by a specified nonprofit community agency is not restricted or prevented from conducting activities of a psychological nature or the use of the official title of their position, provided that person is performing those activities as part of the duties for which they were employed, is performing those activities solely within the confines of or under the jurisdiction of the organization in which they are employed, and does not offer to render or render psychological services, as specified. The Psychology Licensing Law requires those persons to be registered by the agency with the board at the time of employment and to be identified in the setting as a “registered psychologist.” Existing law makes those persons exempt from the Psychology Licensing Law for a maximum period of 30 months from the date of registration.
This bill would repeal these provision.
The Psychology Law requires an applicant for licensure to complete training in the detection and treatment of alcohol and other chemical substance dependency and to complete coursework in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention.
This bill would authorize an applicant to fulfill the above-described requirements by completing coursework or training in those subjects.
The Psychology Licensing Law requires an applicant for licensure who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2004, to complete a minimum of 10 contact hours of coursework in aging and long-term care, as specified. The Psychology Licensing Law requires the applicant to submit to the board a certification from the chief academic officer of the educational institution from which the applicant graduated stating that this required coursework is included within the institution’s required curriculum for graduation, or within the coursework that was completed by the applicant.
This bill, instead, would require an applicant for licensure to complete a minimum of 6 hours of coursework or applied experience in aging and long-term care, as specified. The bill would authorize this requirement to be satisfied by taking a continuing education course, as specified. The bill would revise the requirement that the applicant submit a certification to, among other things, require it to be made and submitted under penalty of perjury. By expanding the crime of perjury, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The Psychology Licensing Law requires the board to grant a license to a person who passes the board’s supplemental licensing examination and, at the time of application, has been licensed for at least 5 years by a licensing authority in another state or Canadian province if the requirements for obtaining a certificate or license in that state or province were substantially equivalent to the requirements of the Psychology Licensing Law. The Psychology Licensing Law authorizes such an applicant to perform activities and services of a psychological nature without a valid license for a period not to exceed 180 calendar days from the time of submitting their application or from the commencement of residency in this state, whichever comes first.
This bill would decrease the number of years the applicant is required to have been licensed to 2 years and would extend these provisions to a person who has been licensed by a psychology licensing authority in a territory of the United States.
The Psychology Licensing Law imposes various fees on applicants for licensure and on licensees.
This bill, additionally, would impose a file transfer fee of $10.
Existing law requires various boards in the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide information concerning the status of licensees on the internet, including information on suspensions and revocations of licenses issued by the entity and other related enforcement actions, and a licensee’s address of record. Existing law requires the Board of Psychology to comply with those provisions and disclose information on its licensees, including psychologists, psychological assistants, and registered psychologists.
This bill would instead specify that the licensees for which the Board of Psychology must is required to disclose this information include psychologists and registered psychological associates.
This bill would make conforming and other nonsubstantive changes.
Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest.
This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.
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: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 27 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

27.
 (a) Each entity specified in subdivisions (c), (d), and (e) shall provide on the internet information regarding the status of every license issued by that entity in accordance with the California Public Records Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code) and the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1798) of Title 1.8 of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). The public information to be provided on the internet shall include information on suspensions and revocations of licenses issued by the entity and other related enforcement action, including accusations filed pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code) taken by the entity relative to persons, businesses, or facilities subject to licensure or regulation by the entity. The information may not include personal information, including home telephone number, date of birth, or social security number. Each entity shall disclose a licensee’s address of record. However, each entity shall allow a licensee to provide a post office box number or other alternate address, instead of the licensee’s home address, as the address of record. This section shall not preclude an entity from also requiring a licensee, who has provided a post office box number or other alternative mailing address as the licensee’s address of record, to provide a physical business address or residence address only for the entity’s internal administrative use and not for disclosure as the licensee’s address of record or disclosure on the internet.
(b) In providing information on the internet, each entity specified in subdivisions (c) and (d) shall comply with the Department of Consumer Affairs’ guidelines for access to public records.
(c) Each of the following entities within the Department of Consumer Affairs shall comply with the requirements of this section:
(1) The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists shall disclose information on its registrants and licensees.
(2) The Bureau of Automotive Repair shall disclose information on its licensees, including auto repair dealers, smog stations, lamp and brake stations, smog check technicians, and smog inspection certification stations.
(3) The Bureau of Household Goods and Services shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants, including major appliance repair dealers, combination dealers (electronic and appliance), electronic repair dealers, service contract sellers, service contract administrators, and household movers.
(4) The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees, including cemetery brokers, cemetery salespersons, cemetery managers, crematory managers, cemetery authorities, crematories, cremated remains disposers, embalmers, funeral establishments, and funeral directors.
(5) The Professional Fiduciaries Bureau shall disclose information on its licensees.
(6) The Contractors State License Board shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants in accordance with Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3. In addition to information related to licenses as specified in subdivision (a), the board shall also disclose information provided to the board by the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 98.9 of the Labor Code.
(7) The Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education shall disclose information on private postsecondary institutions under its jurisdiction, including disclosure of notices to comply issued pursuant to Section 94935 of the Education Code.
(8) The California Board of Accountancy shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.
(9) The California Architects Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including architects and landscape architects.
(10) The State Athletic Commission shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.
(11) The State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology shall disclose information on its licensees.
(12) The Acupuncture Board shall disclose information on its licensees.
(13) The Board of Behavioral Sciences shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.
(14) The Dental Board of California shall disclose information on its licensees.
(15) The State Board of Optometry shall disclose information on its licensees and registrants.
(16) The Board of Psychology shall disclose information on its licensees, including psychologists and registered psychological associates.
(17) The Veterinary Medical Board shall disclose information on its licensees, registrants, and permitholders.
(d) The State Board of Chiropractic Examiners shall disclose information on its licensees.
(e) The Structural Pest Control Board shall disclose information on its licensees, including applicators, field representatives, and operators in the areas of fumigation, general pest and wood destroying pests and organisms, and wood roof cleaning and treatment.
(f) The Bureau of Cannabis Control shall disclose information on its licensees.
(g) “Internet” for the purposes of this section has the meaning set forth in paragraph (6) of subdivision (f) of Section 17538.

SEC. 2.

 Section 2290.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2290.5.
 (a) For purposes of this division, the following definitions shall apply:
(1) “Asynchronous store and forward” means the transmission of a patient’s medical information from an originating site to the health care provider at a distant site.
(2) “Distant site” means a site where a health care provider who provides health care services is located while providing these services via a telecommunications system.
(3) “Health care provider” means any of the following:
(A) A person who is licensed under this division.
(B) An associate marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapist trainee functioning pursuant to Section 4980.43.3.
(C) A qualified autism service provider or qualified autism service professional certified by a national entity pursuant to Section 1374.73 of the Health and Safety Code and Section 10144.51 of the Insurance Code.
(D) An associate clinical social worker functioning pursuant to Section 4996.23.2.
(E) An associate professional clinical counselor functioning pursuant to Section 4999.46.3.
(4) “Originating site” means a site where a patient is located at the time health care services are provided via a telecommunications system or where the asynchronous store and forward service originates.
(5) “Synchronous interaction” means a real-time interaction between a patient and a health care provider located at a distant site.
(6) “Telehealth” means the mode of delivering health care services and public health via information and communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient’s health care. Telehealth facilitates patient self-management and caregiver support for patients and includes synchronous interactions and asynchronous store and forward transfers.
(b) Before the delivery of health care via telehealth, the health care provider initiating the use of telehealth shall inform the patient about the use of telehealth and obtain verbal or written consent from the patient for the use of telehealth as an acceptable mode of delivering health care services and public health. The consent shall be documented.
(c) This section does not preclude a patient from receiving in-person health care delivery services during a specified course of health care and treatment after agreeing to receive services via telehealth.
(d) The failure of a health care provider to comply with this section shall constitute unprofessional conduct. Section 2314 shall not apply to this section.
(e) This section shall not be construed to alter the scope of practice of a health care provider or authorize the delivery of health care services in a setting, or in a manner, not otherwise authorized by law.
(f) All laws regarding the confidentiality of health care information and a patient’s rights to the patient’s medical information shall apply to telehealth interactions.
(g) All laws and regulations governing professional responsibility, unprofessional conduct, and standards of practice that apply to a health care provider under the health care provider’s license shall apply to that health care provider while providing telehealth services.
(h) This section shall not apply to a patient under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or any other correctional facility.
(i) (1) Notwithstanding any other law and for purposes of this section, the governing body of the hospital whose patients are receiving the telehealth services may grant privileges to, and verify and approve credentials for, providers of telehealth services based on its medical staff recommendations that rely on information provided by the distant-site hospital or telehealth entity, as described in Sections 482.12, 482.22, and 485.616 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(2) By enacting this subdivision, it is the intent of the Legislature to authorize a hospital to grant privileges to, and verify and approve credentials for, providers of telehealth services as described in paragraph (1).
(3) For the purposes of this subdivision, “telehealth” shall include “telemedicine” as the term is referenced in Sections 482.12, 482.22, and 485.616 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

SEC. 3.

 Section 2909 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 4.

 Section 2909.5 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 5.

 Section 2910 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2910.
 (a) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict persons who are employed in positions as psychologists or registered psychological associates of accredited or approved academic institutions, public schools, or governmental agencies from practicing psychology or using the official title of the position for which they were employed if those employees are complying with the following:
(1) Performing those psychological activities as part of the duties for which they were hired.
(2) Performing those activities solely within the jurisdiction or confines of those organizations.
(3) Do not hold themselves out as rendering or offering to render psychological services to any person outside of the organization in which they are employed.
(4) Are primarily gaining the supervised professional experience required for licensure that is being accrued consistent with the board’s regulations.
(b) Commencing January 1, 2016, an individual employed or who becomes employed by one or more employers as described in subdivision (a) shall be exempt under this section for a cumulative total of five years.
(c) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict or prohibit a person who holds a valid and current credential as a school psychologist issued by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing from engaging in activities of a psychological nature or using the official title of the position for which they are employed, including the word “psychology” or any derivation.
(d) This chapter shall not be construed to restrict or prohibit a person who is employed as a psychologist, registered psychological associate, professor, or instructor by an accredited or approved college, junior college, or university, or by a federal, state, county, or municipal governmental organization that is not primarily involved in the provision of direct health or mental health services, and who conducts research and disseminates their research findings and scientific information from engaging in activities of a psychological nature or using the official title of the position for which they are employed, including the word “psychology” or any derivation if that person complies with the following:
(1) Performs only those psychological activities as part of the duties for which they are employed.
(2) Performs those activities solely within the jurisdiction or confines of those organizations in which they are employed.
(3) Does not hold themselves out as rendering or offering to render psychological services to any person outside of the organization in which they are employed.

SEC. 6.

 Section 2911 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2911.
 Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as restricting the activities and services of a graduate student or psychology intern enrolled in a doctoral program leading to one of the degrees listed in subdivision (b) of Section 2914 or a trainee in a post-doctoral placement approved by the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers, or the California Psychology Internship Council. These persons may be designated by the title “psychology intern,” “psychology trainee,” “postdoctoral psychology fellow,” or another title clearly indicating the person’s training status.

SEC. 7.

 Section 2913 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2913.
 A person other than a licensed psychologist may perform psychological functions in preparation for licensure as a psychologist only if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) The person is registered with the board as a “registered psychological associate.” This registration shall be renewed annually in accordance with regulations adopted by the board.
(b) (1) The person has completed or is any of the following:
(A) Completed a master’s degree in psychology.
(B) Completed a master’s degree in education with the field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology.
(C) Is an admitted candidate for a doctoral degree in any of the following:
(i) Psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology.
(ii) Education, with the field of specialization in educational psychology, counseling psychology, or school psychology.
(iii) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology after having satisfactorily completed three or more years of postgraduate education in psychology and having passed preliminary doctoral examinations.
(D) Completed a doctoral degree that qualifies for licensure under Section 2914.
(2) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets the requirements of this subdivision.
(c) (1) The registered psychological associate is supervised by a licensed psychologist. The registered psychological associate’s primary supervisor shall be responsible for ensuring that the extent, kind, and quality of the psychological services performed are consistent with the registered psychological associate’s and the primary supervisor’s training and experience. The primary supervisor shall be responsible for the registered psychological associate’s compliance with this chapter and regulations. A primary supervisor may delegate supervision as prescribed by the board’s regulations.
(2) A licensed psychologist shall not supervise more than three registered psychological associates at any given time.
(d) A registered psychological associate shall not do either of the following:
(1) Provide psychological services to the public except as a trainee pursuant to this section.
(2) Receive payments, monetary or otherwise, directly from clients.

SEC. 8.

 Section 2914 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2914.
 (a) An applicant for licensure shall not be subject to denial of licensure under Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).
(b) (1) On and after January 1, 2020, an applicant for licensure shall possess an earned doctoral degree in any of the following:
(A) Psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology.
(B) Education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school psychology.
(C) A field of specialization designed to prepare graduates for the professional practice of psychology.
(2) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the degree or training obtained pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be obtained from a college or institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to any student who was enrolled in a doctoral program in psychology with the field of specialization in clinical, counseling, school, consulting, forensic, industrial, or organizational psychology or in education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology, educational psychology, or school psychology at a nationally accredited or approved institution as of December 31, 2016.
(3) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets the requirements of this subdivision.
(4) Until January 1, 2020, the board may accept an applicant who possesses a doctoral degree in psychology, educational psychology, or in education with the field of specialization in counseling psychology or educational psychology from an institution that is not accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, but is approved to operate in this state by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education on or before July 1, 1999 and has not, since July 1, 1999, had a new location, as described in Section 94823.5 of the Education Code.
(5) An applicant for licensure trained in an educational institution outside the United States or Canada shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that the applicant possesses a doctoral degree in psychology or education as specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) that is equivalent to a degree earned from a regionally accredited academic institution in the United States or Canada by providing the board with an evaluation of the degree by a foreign credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), or by the National Register of Health Services Psychologists (NRHSP), and any other documentation the board deems necessary. The member of the NACES or the NRHSP shall submit the evaluation to the board directly and shall include in the evaluation all of the following:
(A) A transcript in English, or translated into English by the credential evaluation service, of the degree used to qualify for licensure.
(B) An indication that the degree used to qualify for licensure is verified using primary sources.
(C) A determination that the degree is equivalent to a degree that qualifies for licensure pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2).
(c) (1) An applicant for licensure shall have engaged for at least two years in supervised professional experience under the direction of a licensed psychologist, the specific requirements of which shall be defined by the board in its regulations, or under suitable alternative supervision as determined by the board in regulations duly adopted under this chapter, at least one year of which shall have occurred after the applicant was awarded the qualifying doctoral degree. The supervisor shall submit verification of the experience to the trainee as prescribed by the board. If the supervising licensed psychologist fails to provide verification to the trainee in a timely manner, the board may establish alternative procedures for obtaining the necessary documentation. Absent good cause, the failure of a supervising licensed psychologist to provide the verification to the board upon request shall constitute unprofessional conduct.
(2) The board shall establish qualifications by regulation for supervising psychologists.
(d) An applicant for licensure shall take and pass the examination required by Section 2941 unless otherwise exempted by the board under this chapter.
(e) An applicant for licensure shall complete coursework or provide evidence of training in the detection and treatment of alcohol and other chemical substance dependency.
(f) An applicant for licensure shall complete coursework or provide evidence of training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention.

SEC. 9.

 Section 2915 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2915.
 (a) Except as provided in this section, the board shall issue a renewal license only to a licensed psychologist who has completed 36 hours of approved continuing professional development in the preceding two years.
(b) A licensed psychologist who renews or applies to reinstate their license issued pursuant to this chapter shall certify under penalty of perjury that they are in compliance with this section and shall retain proof of this compliance for submission to the board upon request. False statements submitted pursuant to this section shall be a violation of Section 2970.
(c) Continuing professional development means certain learning activities approved in four different categories:
(1) Professional activities.
(2) Academic activities.
(3) Sponsored continuing education coursework.
(4) Board certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology.
The board may develop regulations further defining acceptable continuing professional development activities.
(d) Continuing education courses approved to meet the requirements of this section shall be approved for credit by organizations approved by the board. An organization previously approved by the board to provide or approve continuing education is deemed approved under this section.
(e) The board may accept continuing education courses approved by an entity that has demonstrated to the board in writing that it has, at a minimum, a 10-year history of providing educational programming for psychologists and has documented procedures for maintaining a continuing education approval program. The board shall adopt regulations necessary for implementing this section.
(f) The administration of this section may be funded through professional license fees and continuing education provider and course approval fees, or both. The fees related to the administration of this section shall not exceed the costs of administering the corresponding provisions of this section.

SEC. 10.

 Section 2915.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2915.5.
 (a) Any applicant for licensure as a psychologist as a condition of licensure, a minimum of six contact hours of coursework or applied experience in aging and long-term care, which may include, but need not be limited to, the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. This coursework shall include instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect.
(b) In order to satisfy the coursework requirement of this section, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the registrar or training director of the educational institution or program from which the applicant graduated stating that the coursework required by this section is included within the institution’s required curriculum for graduation at the time the applicant graduated, or within the coursework, that was completed by the applicant.
(c) (1) If an applicant does not have coursework pursuant to this section, the applicant may obtain evidence of compliance as part of their applied experience in a practicum, internship, or formal postdoctoral placement that meets the requirement of Section 2911, or other qualifying supervised professional experience.
(2) To satisfy the applied experience requirement of this section, the applicant shall submit to the board a written certification from the director of training for the program or primary supervisor where the qualifying experience occurred stating that the training required by this section is included within the applied experience.
(d) If an applicant does not meet the curriculum or coursework requirement pursuant to this section, the applicant may obtain evidence of compliance by taking a continuing education course that meets the requirements of subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 2915 and that qualifies as a learning activity category specified in paragraph (2) or (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 2915. To satisfy this requirement, the applicant shall submit to the board a certification of completion.
(e) A written certification made or submitted pursuant to this section shall be done under penalty of perjury.

SEC. 11.

 Section 2915.7 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 12.

 Section 2920 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2920.
 (a) The Board of Psychology shall enforce and administer this chapter. The board shall consist of nine members, four of whom shall be public members.
(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.
(c) Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of this section renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

SEC. 13.

 Section 2933 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2933.
 (a) Except as provided by Section 159.5, the board shall employ and shall make available to the board within the limits of the funds received by the board all personnel necessary to carry out this chapter. The board may employ, exempt from the State Civil Service Act, an executive officer to the Board of Psychology. The board shall make all expenditures to carry out this chapter. The board may accept contributions to effectuate the purposes of this chapter.
(b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 14.

 Section 2942 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2942.
 The board may examine by written or computer-assisted examination or by both. All aspects of the examination shall be in compliance with Section 139. The examination shall be available for administration at least twice a year at the time and place and under supervision as the board may determine. The passing grades for the examinations shall be established by the board in regulations and shall be based on psychometrically sound principles of establishing minimum qualifications and levels of competency.
The board may utilize examinations for a psychologist’s license under a uniform examination system, and for that purpose the board may make arrangements with organizations to supply and administer examination materials.

SEC. 15.

 Section 2944 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 16.

 Section 2946 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2946.
 The board shall grant a license to any person who passes the board’s supplemental licensing examination and, at the time of application, has been licensed for at least two years by a psychology licensing authority in another state or territory of the United States or Canadian province if the requirements for obtaining a certificate or license to practice psychology in that state, territory, or province were substantially equivalent to the requirements of this chapter.
A psychologist certified or licensed in another state, territory, or province who has applied to the board for a license in this state may perform activities and services of a psychological nature without a valid California license for a period not to exceed 180 calendar days from the time of submitting their application or from the commencement of residency in this state, whichever first occurs.
The board at its discretion may waive the examinations, when in the judgment of the board the applicant has already demonstrated competence in areas covered by the examinations. The board at its discretion may waive the examinations for diplomates of the American Board of Professional Psychology. An applicant shall take and pass the required examinations unless waived by the board pursuant to this section.

SEC. 17.

 Section 2949 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2949.
 (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 9 (commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, relating to public meetings, a committee of the board formed to address issues relating to licensure, and to which the board delegates authority to consider and decide requests from an applicant or licensee pertaining to their qualifications for licensure, may convene in closed session to consider and decide a request from an applicant or licensee for either of the following:
(1) An extension of time to gain supervised professional experience to meet the experience requirements for licensure.
(2) An extension of time to hold a psychological associate registration beyond the maximum period otherwise allowed pursuant to regulations.
(b) The committee shall only convene in closed session to the extent that it is necessary to protect the privacy of the applicant or licensee.

SEC. 18.

 Section 2960 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2960.
 The board may refuse to issue any registration or license, or may issue a registration or license with terms and conditions, or may suspend or revoke the registration or license of any registrant or licensee if the applicant, registrant, or licensee has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of a psychologist or registered psychological associate.
(b) Use of any controlled substance as defined in Division 10 (commencing with Section 11000) of the Health and Safety Code, or dangerous drug, or any alcoholic beverage to an extent or in a manner dangerous to themselves, any other person, or the public, or to an extent that this use impairs their ability to perform the work of a psychologist with safety to the public.
(c) Fraudulently or neglectfully misrepresenting the type or status of license or registration actually held.
(d) Impersonating another person holding a psychology license or allowing another person to use their license or registration.
(e) Using fraud or deception in applying for a license or registration or in passing the examination provided for in this chapter.
(f) Paying, or offering to pay, accepting, or soliciting any consideration, compensation, or remuneration, whether monetary or otherwise, for the referral of clients.
(g) Violating Section 17500.
(h) Willful, unauthorized communication of information received in professional confidence.
(i) Violating any rule of professional conduct promulgated by the board and set forth in regulations duly adopted under this chapter.
(j) Being grossly negligent in the practice of their profession.
(k) Violating any of the provisions of this chapter or regulations duly adopted thereunder.
(l) The aiding or abetting of any person to engage in the unlawful practice of psychology.
(m) The suspension, revocation or imposition of probationary conditions by another state or country of a license or certificate to practice psychology or as a psychological assistant issued by that state or country to a person also holding a license or registration issued under this chapter if the act for which the disciplinary action was taken constitutes a violation of this section.
(n) The commission of any dishonest, corrupt, or fraudulent act.
(o) Any act of sexual abuse, or sexual relations with a patient or former patient within two years following termination of therapy, or sexual misconduct that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions or duties of a psychologist or registered psychological associate.
(p) Functioning outside of their particular field or fields of competence as established by their education, training, and experience.
(q) Willful failure to submit, on behalf of an applicant for licensure, verification of supervised experience to the board.
(r) Repeated acts of negligence.

SEC. 19.

 Section 2987 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

2987.
 The amount of the fees prescribed by this chapter shall be determined by the board, and shall be as follows:
(a) The application fee for a psychologist shall not be more than fifty dollars ($50).
(b)  The examination and reexamination fees for the examinations shall be the actual cost to the board of developing, purchasing, and grading of each examination, plus the actual cost to the board of administering each examination.
(c) The initial license fee is an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on which the license is issued.
(d) The biennial renewal fee for a psychologist shall be four hundred dollars ($400). The board may increase the renewal fee to an amount not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500).
(e) The application fee for registration as a registered psychological associate under Section 2913 shall not be more than seventy-five dollars ($75).
(f) The annual renewal fee for registration of a psychological assistant shall not be more than seventy-five dollars ($75).
(g) The duplicate license or registration fee is five dollars ($5).
(h) The delinquency fee is 50 percent of the renewal fee for each license type, not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
(i) The endorsement fee is five dollars ($5).
(j) The file transfer fee is ten dollars ($10).
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may reduce any fee prescribed by this section, when, in its discretion, the board deems it administratively appropriate.

SEC. 20.

 Section 2988.7 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

2988.7.
 (a) The board may, in its discretion, accept the offer of a surrender of a license. The acceptance of the offer of a surrender shall be in writing.
(b) The license surrender shall be public information.
(c) The holder of the license that was surrendered pursuant to this section may petition the board for reinstatement after a period of not less than one year after the effective date of the acceptance.
(d) The reinstatement proceeding shall be conducted pursuant to Section 2965.

SEC. 21.

 Section 4980.01 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.01.
 (a) This chapter shall not be construed to constrict, limit, or withdraw the Medical Practice Act, the Social Work Licensing Law, the Nursing Practice Act, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, or the Psychology Licensing Law.
(b) This chapter shall not apply to any priest, rabbi, or minister of the gospel of any religious denomination when performing counseling services as part of their pastoral or professional duties, or to any person who is admitted to practice law in the state, or a physician and surgeon who provides counseling services as part of their professional practice.
(c) This chapter shall not apply to an unlicensed or unregistered employee or volunteer working in a governmental entity, a school, a college, a university, or an institution that is both nonprofit and charitable if both of the following apply:
(1) The work of the employee or volunteer is performed solely under the supervision of the entity.
(2) (A) On and after July 1, 2020, the employee or volunteer provides a client, prior to initiating psychotherapy services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a notice written in at least 12-point type that is in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The (Name of office or unit) of the (Name of agency) receives and responds to complaints regarding the practice of psychotherapy by any unlicensed or unregistered practitioner providing services at (Name of agency). To file a complaint, contact (Telephone number, email address, internet website, or mailing address of agency).
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by individuals licensed and registered by the board. If you have a complaint and are unsure if your practitioner is licensed or registered, please contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences at 916-574-7830 for assistance or utilize the board’s online license verification feature by visiting www.bbs.ca.gov.

(B) The delivery of the notice described in subparagraph (A) to the client shall be documented.
(d) A marriage and family therapist licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care provider subject to the provisions of Section 2290.5 pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivisions (b) and (c), all persons registered as associates or licensed under this chapter shall not be exempt from this chapter or the jurisdiction of the board.

SEC. 22.

 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.
(c) The amendments to this section made by the act adding this subdivision do not constitute a change in, but are declaratory of, existing law. It is the intent of the Legislature that these amendments shall not be construed to expand or constrict the existing scope of practice of a person licensed pursuant to this chapter.

SEC. 23.

 Section 4980.32 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.32.
 (a) On and after July 1, 2020, a licensee or registrant shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychotherapy services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of marriage and family therapists. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.

(b) Delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.

SEC. 24.

 Section 4980.36 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.36.
 (a) This section shall apply to the following:
(1) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before August 1, 2012, and do not complete that study on or before December 31, 2018.
(2) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before August 1, 2012, and who graduate from a degree program that meets the requirements of this section.
(3) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study on or after August 1, 2012.
(b) To qualify for a license or registration, applicants shall possess a doctoral or master’s degree meeting the requirements of this section in marriage, family, and child counseling, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy, psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or either counseling or clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in either marriage, family, and child counseling or marriage and family therapy. The degree shall be obtained from a school, college, or university approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, or accredited by either the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education, or a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education. The board has the authority to make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation or approval.
(c) A doctoral or master’s degree program that qualifies for licensure or registration shall be a single, integrated program that does the following:
(1) Integrate all of the following throughout its curriculum:
(A) Marriage and family therapy principles.
(B) The principles of mental health recovery-oriented care and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments, among others.
(C) An understanding of various cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position, and an understanding of how poverty and social stress impact an individual’s mental health and recovery.
(2) Allow for innovation and individuality in the education of marriage and family therapists.
(3) Encourage students to develop the personal qualities that are intimately related to effective practice, including, but not limited to, integrity, sensitivity, flexibility, insight, compassion, and personal presence.
(4) Permit an emphasis or specialization that may address any one or more of the unique and complex array of human problems, symptoms, and needs of Californians served by marriage and family therapists.
(5) Provide students with the opportunity to meet with various consumers and family members of consumers of mental health services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental illness, treatment, and recovery.
(d) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall contain no less than 60 semester or 90 quarter units of instruction that includes, but is not limited to, the following requirements:
(1) Both of the following:
(A) No less than 12 semester or 18 quarter units of coursework in theories, principles, and methods of a variety of psychotherapeutic orientations directly related to marriage and family therapy and marital and family systems approaches to treatment and how these theories can be applied therapeutically with individuals, couples, families, adults, including elder adults, children, adolescents, and groups to improve, restore, or maintain healthy relationships.
(B) Practicum that involves direct client contact, as follows:
(i) A minimum of six semester or nine quarter units of practicum in a supervised clinical placement that provides supervised fieldwork experience.
(ii) A minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face experience counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups.
(iii) A student must be enrolled in a practicum course while counseling clients, except as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 4980.42.
(iv) The practicum shall provide training in all of the following areas:
(I) Applied use of theory and psychotherapeutic techniques.
(II) Assessment, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning.
(III) Treatment of individuals and premarital, couple, family, and child relationships, including trauma and abuse, dysfunctions, healthy functioning, health promotion, illness prevention, and working with families.
(IV) Professional writing, including documentation of services, treatment plans, and progress notes.
(V) How to connect people with resources that deliver the quality of services and support needed in the community.
(v) Educational institutions are encouraged to design the practicum required by this subparagraph to include marriage and family therapy experience in low income and multicultural mental health settings.
(vi) In addition to the 150 hours required in clause (ii), 75 hours of either of the following, or a combination thereof:
(I) Client centered advocacy, as defined in Section 4980.03.
(II) Face-to-face experience counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups.
(2) Instruction in all of the following:
(A) Diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, treatment planning, and treatment of mental disorders, including severe mental disorders, evidence-based practices, psychological testing, psychopharmacology, and promising mental health practices that are evaluated in peer-reviewed literature.
(B) Developmental issues from infancy to old age, including instruction in all of the following areas:
(i) The effects of developmental issues on individuals, couples, and family relationships.
(ii) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, and health implications of developmental issues and their effects.
(iii) Aging and its biological, social, cognitive, and psychological aspects. This coursework shall include instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect.
(iv) A variety of cultural understandings of human development.
(v) The understanding of human behavior within the social context of socioeconomic status and other contextual issues affecting social position.
(vi) The understanding of human behavior within the social context of a representative variety of the cultures found within California.
(vii) The understanding of the impact that personal and social insecurity, social stress, low educational levels, inadequate housing, and malnutrition have on human development.
(C) The broad range of matters and life events that may arise within marriage and family relationships and within a variety of California cultures, including instruction in all of the following:
(i) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(ii) Spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies, and same gender abuse dynamics.
(iii) Cultural factors relevant to abuse of partners and family members.
(iv) Childbirth, child rearing, parenting, and stepparenting.
(v) Marriage, divorce, and blended families.
(vi) Long-term care.
(vii) End-of-life and grief.
(viii) Poverty and deprivation.
(ix) Financial and social stress.
(x) Effects of trauma.
(xi) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, community, and health implications of the matters and life events described in clauses (i) to (x), inclusive.
(D) Cultural competency and sensitivity, including a familiarity with the racial, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds of persons living in California.
(E) Multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction, including experiences of race, ethnicity, class, spirituality, sexual orientation, gender, and disability, and their incorporation into the psychotherapeutic process.
(F) The effects of socioeconomic status on treatment and available resources.
(G) Resilience, including the personal and community qualities that enable persons to cope with adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or other stresses.
(H) Human sexuality, including the study of physiological, psychological, and social cultural variables associated with sexual behavior and gender identity, and the assessment and treatment of psychosexual dysfunction.
(I) Substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, including, but not limited to, instruction in all of the following:
(i) The definition of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction. For purposes of this subparagraph, “co-occurring disorders” means a mental illness and substance abuse diagnosis occurring simultaneously in an individual.
(ii) Medical aspects of substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
(iii) The effects of psychoactive drug use.
(iv) Current theories of the etiology of substance abuse and addiction.
(v) The role of persons and systems that support or compound substance abuse and addiction.
(vi) Major approaches to identification, evaluation, and treatment of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, including, but not limited to, best practices.
(vii) Legal aspects of substance abuse.
(viii) Populations at risk with regard to substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
(ix) Community resources offering screening, assessment, treatment, and follow up for the affected person and family.
(x) Recognition of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, and appropriate referral.
(xi) The prevention of substance use disorders and addiction.
(J) California law and professional ethics for marriage and family therapists, including instruction in all of the following areas of study:
(i) Contemporary professional ethics and statutory, regulatory, and decisional laws that delineate the scope of practice of marriage and family therapy.
(ii) The therapeutic, clinical, and practical considerations involved in the legal and ethical practice of marriage and family therapy, including, but not limited to, family law.
(iii) The current legal patterns and trends in the mental health professions.
(iv) The psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality, the patient dangerous to self or others, and the treatment of minors with and without parental consent.
(v) A recognition and exploration of the relationship between a practitioner’s sense of self and human values and the practitioner’s professional behavior and ethics.
(vi) The application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings.
(vii) Licensing law and licensing process.
(e) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall, in addition to meeting the requirements of subdivision (d), include instruction in case management, systems of care for the severely mentally ill, public and private services and supports available for the severely mentally ill, community resources for persons with mental illness and for victims of abuse, disaster and trauma response, advocacy for the severely mentally ill, and collaborative treatment. This instruction may be provided either in credit level coursework or through extension programs offered by the degree-granting institution.
(f) The changes made to law by this section are intended to improve the educational qualifications for licensure in order to better prepare future licentiates for practice, and are not intended to expand or restrict the scope of practice for marriage and family therapists.

SEC. 25.

 Section 4980.37 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.37.
 (a) This section shall apply to applicants for licensure or registration who began graduate study before August 1, 2012, and completed that study on or before December 31, 2018. Those applicants may alternatively qualify under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4980.36.
(b) To qualify for a license or registration, applicants shall possess a doctoral or master’s degree in marriage, family, and child counseling, marriage and family therapy, couple and family therapy, psychology, clinical psychology, counseling psychology, or either counseling or clinical mental health counseling with an emphasis in either marriage, family, and child counseling or marriage and family therapy. The degree shall be obtained from a school, college, or university accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. The board has the authority to make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation or approval. In order to qualify for licensure pursuant to this section, a doctoral or master’s degree program shall be a single, integrated program primarily designed to train marriage and family therapists and shall contain no less than 48 semester units or 72 quarter units of instruction. This instruction shall include no less than 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of coursework in the areas of marriage, family, and child counseling, and marital and family systems approaches to treatment. The coursework shall include all of the following areas:
(1) The salient theories of a variety of psychotherapeutic orientations directly related to marriage and family therapy, and marital and family systems approaches to treatment.
(2) Theories of marriage and family therapy and how they can be utilized in order to intervene therapeutically with couples, families, adults, children, and groups.
(3) Developmental issues and life events from infancy to old age and their effect on individuals, couples, and family relationships. This may include coursework that focuses on specific family life events and the psychological, psychotherapeutic, and health implications that arise within couples and families, including, but not limited to, childbirth, child rearing, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, marriage, divorce, blended families, stepparenting, abuse and neglect of older and dependent adults, and geropsychology.
(4) A variety of approaches to the treatment of children.
The board shall, by regulation, set forth the subjects of instruction required in this subdivision.
(c) (1) In addition to the 12 semester or 18 quarter units of coursework specified in subdivision (b), the doctoral or master’s degree program shall contain not less than six semester units or nine quarter units of supervised practicum in applied psychotherapeutic technique, assessments, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment planning, and treatment of premarital, couple, family, and child relationships, including dysfunctions, healthy functioning, health promotion, and illness prevention, in a supervised clinical placement that provides supervised fieldwork experience within the scope of practice of a marriage and family therapist.
(2) For applicants who enrolled in a degree program on or after January 1, 1995, the practicum shall include a minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face experience counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups.
(3) The practicum hours shall be considered as part of the 48 semester or 72 quarter unit requirement.
(d) As an alternative to meeting the qualifications specified in subdivision (b), the board shall accept as equivalent degrees those master’s or doctoral degrees granted by educational institutions whose degree program is approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education.
(e) In order to provide an integrated course of study and appropriate professional training, while allowing for innovation and individuality in the education of marriage and family therapists, a degree program that meets the educational qualifications for licensure or registration under this section shall do all of the following:
(1) Provide an integrated course of study that trains students generally in the diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, treatment planning, and treatment of mental disorders.
(2) Prepare students to be familiar with the broad range of matters that may arise within marriage and family relationships.
(3) Train students specifically in the application of marriage and family relationship counseling principles and methods.
(4) Encourage students to develop those personal qualities that are intimately related to the counseling situation such as integrity, sensitivity, flexibility, insight, compassion, and personal presence.
(5) Teach students a variety of effective psychotherapeutic techniques and modalities that may be utilized to improve, restore, or maintain healthy individual, couple, and family relationships.
(6) Permit an emphasis or specialization that may address any one or more of the unique and complex array of human problems, symptoms, and needs of Californians served by marriage and family therapists.
(7) Prepare students to be familiar with cross-cultural mores and values, including a familiarity with the wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds common among California’s population, including, but not limited to, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and Native Americans.
(f) Educational institutions are encouraged to design the practicum required by this section to include marriage and family therapy experience in low income and multicultural mental health settings.

SEC. 26.

 Section 4980.40 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.40.
 An applicant for licensure shall satisfy all of the following qualifications:
(a) Meet the educational requirements of Section 4980.36 or both Sections 4980.37 and 4980.41, as applicable.
(b) Be at least 18 years of age.
(c) Have at least two years of supervised experience as specified in this chapter and its corresponding regulations.
(d) Successfully pass a California law and ethics examination and a clinical examination. An applicant who has successfully passed a previously administered written examination may be subsequently required to take and pass another written examination.
(e) Not be subject to denial of licensure under Section 480. The board shall not issue a registration or license to any person who has been convicted of a crime in this or another state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory, in accordance with Section 480.

SEC. 27.

 Section 4980.43.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.43.3.
 (a) A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall only perform mental health and related services as an employee or volunteer, and not as an independent contractor. The requirements of this chapter regarding hours of experience and supervision shall apply equally to employees and volunteers. A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall not perform any services or gain any experience within the scope of practice of the profession, as defined in Section 4980.02, as an independent contractor. While an associate may be either a paid employee or a volunteer, employers are encouraged to provide fair remuneration.
(1) If employed, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with copies of the W-2 tax forms for each year of experience claimed.
(2) If volunteering, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with a letter from the associate’s employer verifying the associate’s status as a volunteer during the dates the experience was gained.
(b) (1) A trainee shall not perform services in a private practice. A trainee may be credited with supervised experience completed in a setting that meets all of the following:
(A) Is not a private practice.
(B) Lawfully and regularly provides mental health counseling or psychotherapy.
(C) Provides oversight to ensure that the trainee’s work at the setting meets the experience and supervision requirements in this chapter and is within the scope of practice for the profession, as defined in Section 4980.02.
(2) Only experience gained in the position for which the trainee volunteers or is employed shall qualify as supervised experience.
(c) (1) An associate may be credited with supervised experience completed in any setting that meets both of the following:
(A) Lawfully and regularly provides mental health counseling or psychotherapy.
(B) Provides oversight to ensure that the associate’s work at the setting meets the experience and supervision requirements in this chapter and is within the scope of practice for the profession, as defined in Section 4980.02.
(2) Only experience gained in the position for which the associate volunteers or is employed shall qualify as supervised experience.
(3) An applicant for registration as an associate shall not be employed or volunteer in a private practice until the applicant has been issued an associate registration by the board.
(d) Any experience obtained under the supervision of a spouse, relative, or domestic partner shall not be credited toward the required hours of supervised experience. Any experience obtained under the supervision of a supervisor with whom the applicant has had or currently has a personal, professional, or business relationship that undermines the authority or effectiveness of the supervision shall not be credited toward the required hours of supervised experience.
(e) A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall not receive any remuneration from patients or clients and shall only be paid by their employer, if an employee.
(f) A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall have no proprietary interest in their employer’s business and shall not lease or rent space, pay for furnishings, equipment, or supplies, or in any other way pay for the obligations of their employer.
(g) A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure who provides voluntary services in any lawful work setting other than a private practice and who only receives reimbursement for expenses actually incurred shall be considered an employee. The board may audit an applicant for licensure who receives reimbursement for expenses and the applicant for licensure shall have the burden of demonstrating that the payment received was for reimbursement of expenses actually incurred.
(h) A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure who receives a stipend or educational loan repayment from a program designed to encourage demographically underrepresented groups to enter the profession or to improve recruitment and retention in underserved regions or settings shall be considered an employee. The board may audit an applicant who receives a stipend or educational loan repayment and the applicant shall have the burden of demonstrating that the payment received was for the specified purposes.
(i) An associate or a trainee may provide services via telehealth that are in the scope of practice outlined in this chapter.
(j) Each educational institution preparing applicants pursuant to this chapter shall consider requiring, and shall encourage, its students to undergo individual, marital, conjoint, family, or group counseling or psychotherapy, as appropriate. Each supervisor shall consider, advise, and encourage the supervisor’s associates and trainees regarding the advisability of undertaking individual, marital, conjoint, family, or group counseling or psychotherapy, as appropriate. Insofar as it is deemed appropriate and is desired by the applicant, educational institutions and supervisors are encouraged to assist the applicant to locate counseling or psychotherapy at a reasonable cost.

SEC. 28.

 Section 4980.54 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.54.
 (a) The Legislature recognizes that the education and experience requirements in this chapter constitute only minimal requirements to ensure that an applicant is prepared and qualified to take the licensure examinations as specified in subdivision (d) of Section 4980.40 and, if an applicant passes those examinations, to begin practice.
(b) In order to continuously improve the competence of licensed marriage and family therapists and as a model for all psychotherapeutic professions, the Legislature encourages all licensees to regularly engage in continuing education related to the profession or scope of practice as defined in this chapter.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (e), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that the applicant has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of marriage and family therapy in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.
(d) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completion of required continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.
(e) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirements of this section for good cause, as defined by the board.
(f) The continuing education shall be obtained from one of the following sources:
(1) An accredited school or state-approved school that meets the requirements set forth in Section 4980.36 or 4980.37. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring coursework to be offered as part of a regular degree program.
(2) Other continuing education providers, as specified by the board by regulation.
(g) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure for identifying acceptable providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (f), shall adhere to procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(h) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:
(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding or the practice of marriage and family therapy.
(2) Aspects of the discipline of marriage and family therapy in which significant recent developments have occurred.
(3) Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of marriage and family therapy.
(i) A system of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists shall include courses directly related to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the client population being served.
(j) The continuing education requirements of this section shall comply fully with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.

SEC. 29.

 Section 4980.81 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4980.81.
 This section applies to persons subject to Section 4980.78 who apply for licensure or registration.
(a) For purposes of Section 4980.78, an applicant shall meet all of the following educational requirements:
(1) A minimum of two semester units of instruction in the diagnosis, assessment, prognosis, treatment planning, and treatment of mental disorders, including severe mental disorders, evidence-based practices, and promising mental health practices that are evaluated in peer-reviewed literature.
(2) At least one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction in psychological testing and at least one semester unit or 15 hours of instruction in psychopharmacology.
(3) (A) Developmental issues from infancy to old age, including demonstration of at least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction that includes all of the following subjects:
(i) The effects of developmental issues on individuals, couples, and family relationships.
(ii) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, and health implications of developmental issues and their effects.
(iii) The understanding of the impact that personal and social insecurity, social stress, low educational levels, inadequate housing, and malnutrition have on human development.
(B) An applicant who is deficient in any of these subjects may remediate the coursework by completing three hours of instruction in each deficient subject.
(4) (A) The broad range of matters and life events that may arise within marriage and family relationships and within a variety of California cultures, including instruction in all of the following:
(i) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28 and any regulations promulgated under that section.
(ii) A minimum of 10 contact hours of coursework that includes all of the following:
(I) The assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect.
(II) Aging and its biological, social, cognitive, and psychological aspects.
(III) Long-term care.
(IV) End-of-life and grief.
(iii) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies, and same-gender abuse dynamics.
(iv) Cultural factors relevant to abuse of partners and family members.
(v) Childbirth, child rearing, parenting, and stepparenting.
(vi) Marriage, divorce, and blended families.
(vii) Poverty and deprivation.
(viii) Financial and social stress.
(ix) Effects of trauma.
(x) The psychological, psychotherapeutic, community, and health implications of the matters and life events described in clauses (i) to (ix), inclusive.
(5) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction in multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction, including experiences of race, ethnicity, class, spirituality, sexual orientation, gender, and disability, and their incorporation into the psychotherapeutic process.
(6) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality, as specified in Section 25 and any regulations promulgated under that section, including the study of physiological, psychological, and social cultural variables associated with sexual behavior and gender identity, and the assessment and treatment of psychosexual dysfunction.
(7) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in substance use disorders, and a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in co-occurring disorders and addiction. The following subjects shall be included in this coursework:
(A) The definition of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction. For purposes of this subparagraph, “co-occurring disorders” means a mental illness and substance abuse diagnosis occurring simultaneously in an individual.
(B) Medical aspects of substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
(C) The effects of psychoactive drug use.
(D) Current theories of the etiology of substance abuse and addiction.
(E) The role of persons and systems that support or compound substance abuse and addiction.
(F) Major approaches to identification, evaluation, and treatment of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, including, but not limited to, best practices.
(G) Legal aspects of substance abuse.
(H) Populations at risk with regard to substance use disorders and co-occurring disorders.
(I) Community resources offering screening, assessment, treatment, and followup for the affected person and family.
(J) Recognition of substance use disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, and appropriate referral.
(K) The prevention of substance use disorders and addiction.
(8) A minimum of a two semester or three quarter unit course in law and professional ethics for marriage and family therapists, including instruction in all of the following subjects:
(A) Contemporary professional ethics and statutory, regulatory, and decisional laws that delineate the scope of practice of marriage and family therapy.
(B) The therapeutic, clinical, and practical considerations involved in the legal and ethical practice of marriage and family therapy, including, but not limited to, family law.
(C) The current legal patterns and trends in the mental health professions.
(D) The psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality, the patient dangerous to self or others, and the treatment of minors with and without parental consent.
(E) A recognition and exploration of the relationship between a practitioner’s sense of self and human values and their professional behavior and ethics.
(F) The application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings.
(G) Licensing law and licensing process.

SEC. 30.

 Section 4982 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4982.
 The board may deny a license or registration or may suspend or revoke the license or registration of a licensee or registrant if the licensee or registrant has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) The conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. The record of conviction shall be conclusive evidence only of the fact that the conviction occurred. The board may inquire into the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime in order to fix the degree of discipline or to determine if the conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. A conviction has the same meaning as defined in Section 7.5. The board may order any license or registration suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a license or registration when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or, when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence. All actions pursuant to this subdivision shall be taken pursuant to Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).
(b) Securing a license or registration by fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation on any application for licensure or registration submitted to the board, whether engaged in by an applicant for a license or registration, or by a licensee in support of any application for licensure or registration.
(c) Administering to themself any controlled substance or using of any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022, or of any alcoholic beverage to the extent, or in a manner, as to be dangerous or injurious to the person applying for a registration or license or holding a registration or license under this chapter, or to any other person, or to the public, or, to the extent that the use impairs the ability of the person applying for or holding a registration or license to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by the registration or license. The board shall deny an application for a registration or license or revoke the license or registration of any person, other than one who is licensed as a physician and surgeon, who uses or offers to use drugs in the course of performing marriage and family therapy services.
(d) Gross negligence or incompetence in the performance of marriage and family therapy.
(e) Violating, attempting to violate, or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any regulation adopted by the board.
(f) Misrepresentation as to the type or status of a license or registration held by the licensee or registrant or otherwise misrepresenting or permitting misrepresentation of the licensee’s or registrant’s education, professional qualifications, or professional affiliations to any person or entity.
(g) Impersonation of another by any licensee, registrant, or applicant for a license or registration, or, in the case of a licensee or registrant, allowing any other person to use the licensee’s or registrant’s license or registration.
(h) Aiding or abetting, or employing, directly or indirectly, any unlicensed or unregistered person to engage in conduct for which a license or registration is required under this chapter.
(i) Intentionally or recklessly causing physical or emotional harm to any client.
(j) The commission of any dishonest, corrupt, or fraudulent act substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant.
(k) Engaging in sexual relations with a client, or a former client within two years following termination of therapy, soliciting sexual relations with a client, or committing an act of sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct with a client, or committing an act punishable as a sexually related crime, if that act or solicitation is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a marriage and family therapist.
(l) Performing, or holding oneself out as being able to perform, or offering to perform, or permitting any trainee, registered associate, or applicant for licensure under supervision to perform, any professional services beyond the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(m) Failure to maintain confidentiality, except as otherwise required or permitted by law, of all information that has been received from a client in confidence during the course of treatment and all information about the client that is obtained from tests or other means.
(n) Prior to the commencement of treatment, failing to disclose to the client or prospective client the fee to be charged for the professional services, or the basis upon which that fee will be computed.
(o) Paying, accepting, or soliciting any consideration, compensation, or remuneration, whether monetary or otherwise, for the referral of professional clients. All consideration, compensation, or remuneration shall be in relation to professional counseling services actually provided by the licensee. This subdivision does not prevent collaboration among two or more licensees in a case or cases. However, a fee shall not be charged for that collaboration, except when disclosure of the fee has been made in compliance with subdivision (n).
(p) Advertising in a manner that is false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive, as defined in Section 651.
(q) Reproduction or description in public, or in any publication subject to general public distribution, of any psychological test or other assessment device, the value of which depends in whole or in part on the naivete of the subject, in ways that might invalidate the test or device.
(r) Any conduct in the supervision of any registered associate, trainee, or applicant for licensure by any licensee that violates this chapter or any rules or regulations adopted by the board.
(s) Performing or holding oneself out as being able to perform mental health services beyond the scope of one’s competence, as established by one’s education, training, or experience. This subdivision shall not be construed to expand the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(t) Permitting a trainee, registered associate, or applicant for licensure under one’s supervision or control to perform, or permitting the trainee, registered associate, or applicant for licensure to hold themself out as competent to perform, mental health services beyond the trainee’s, registered associate’s, or applicant for licensure’s level of education, training, or experience.
(u) The violation of any statute or regulation governing the gaining and supervision of experience required by this chapter.
(v) Failure to keep records consistent with sound clinical judgment, the standards of the profession, and the nature of the services being rendered.
(w) Failure to comply with the child abuse reporting requirements of Section 11166 of the Penal Code.
(x) Failure to comply with the elder and dependent adult abuse reporting requirements of Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(y) Willful violation of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(z) Failure to comply with Section 2290.5.
(aa) (1) Engaging in an act described in Section 261, 286, 287, or 289 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code with a minor or an act described in Section 288 or 288.5 of the Penal Code regardless of whether the act occurred prior to or after the time the registration or license was issued by the board. An act described in this subdivision occurring prior to the effective date of this subdivision shall constitute unprofessional conduct and shall subject the licensee to refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license under this section.
(2) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that protection of the public, and in particular minors, from sexual misconduct by a licensee is a compelling governmental interest, and that the ability to suspend or revoke a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section is equally important to protecting the public as is the ability to refuse a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section.
(ab) Engaging in any conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert any licensing examination or the administration of an examination as described in Section 123.

SEC. 31.

 Section 4984.7 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4984.7.
 (a) The board shall assess the following fees relating to the licensure of marriage and family therapists:
(1) The application fee for an associate registration shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(2) The annual renewal fee for an associate registration shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(3) The fee for the application for licensure shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(4) (A) (i) The fee for the clinical examination shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(ii) The fee for the California law and ethics examination shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(B) An applicant who fails to appear for an examination, after having been scheduled to take the examination, shall forfeit the examination fee.
(C) The amount of the examination fees shall be based on the actual cost to the board of developing, purchasing, and grading each examination and the actual cost to the board of administering each examination. The examination fees shall be adjusted periodically by regulation to reflect the actual costs incurred by the board.
(5) The fee for rescoring an examination shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(6) The fee for the issuance of an initial license shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(7) The fee for the two-year license renewal shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(8) The renewal delinquency fee shall be one-half of the fee for license renewal. A person who permits their license to expire is subject to the delinquency fee.
(9) The fee for issuance of a replacement registration, license, or certificate shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(10) The fee for issuance of a certificate or letter of good standing shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
(11) The fee for issuance of a retired license shall be forty dollars ($40).
(b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.

SEC. 32.

 Section 4987.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4987.5.
 A marriage and family therapy corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees rendering professional services are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code), this article, and any other statute or regulation pertaining to that corporation and the conduct of its affairs. With respect to a marriage and family therapy corporation, the governmental agency referred to in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act is the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SEC. 33.

 Section 4989.17 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.17.
 (a) On and after July 1, 2020, a licensee shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychological services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of licensed educational psychologists. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.

(b) Delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.

SEC. 34.

 Section 4989.20 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.20.
 (a) The board may issue a license as an educational psychologist if the applicant satisfies, with proof satisfactory to the board, the following requirements:
(1) Possession of, at minimum, a master’s degree in psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, counseling and guidance, or a degree deemed equivalent by the board. This degree shall be obtained from an educational institution approved by the board according to the regulations adopted under this chapter.
(2) Attainment of 18 years of age.
(3) Is not subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480.
(4) Successful completion of 60 semester hours of postgraduate work in pupil personnel services.
(5) Two years of full-time, or the equivalent to full-time, experience as a credentialed school psychologist in the public schools. The applicant shall not be credited with experience obtained more than six years prior to filing the application for licensure.
(6) One of the following:
(A) One year of supervised professional experience in an accredited school psychology program.
(B) In addition to the requirements of paragraph (5), one year of full-time, or the equivalent to full-time, experience as a credentialed school psychologist in the public schools obtained under the direction of a licensed educational psychologist or a licensed psychologist.
(7) Passage of an examination specified by the board.

SEC. 35.

 Section 4989.24 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.24.
 (a) The board shall not issue a license to a person who has been convicted of a crime in this or any other state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory.
(b) A denial issued pursuant to this section shall comply with the conditions for denial specified in Section 480.

SEC. 36.

 Section 4989.32 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.32.
 To renew an unexpired license, the licensee shall, on or before the expiration date of the license, take all of the following actions:
(a) Apply for renewal on a form prescribed by the board.
(b) Pay a two-year renewal fee prescribed by the board.
(c) Inform the board of whether the licensee has been convicted, as defined in Section 490, of any misdemeanor or felony and whether any disciplinary action has been taken by a regulatory or licensing board in this or any other state after the prior issuance or renewal of a license.
(d) Complete the continuing education requirements described in Section 4989.34.

SEC. 37.

 Section 4989.34 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.34.
 (a) To renew a license, a licensee shall certify to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, completion in the preceding two years of not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in, or relevant to, educational psychology.
(b) (1) The continuing education shall be obtained from either an accredited university or a continuing education provider as specified by the board by regulation.
(2) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure identifying acceptable providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education shall comply with procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(c) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:
(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding or the practice of educational psychology.
(2) Aspects of the discipline of educational psychology in which significant recent developments have occurred.
(3) Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of educational psychology.
(d) The board may audit the records of a licensee to verify completion of the continuing education requirement. A licensee shall maintain records of the completion of required continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon its request.
(e) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirements of this section for good cause, as determined by the board.
(f) The continuing education requirements of this section shall comply fully with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.

SEC. 38.

 Section 4989.36 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.36.
 A licensee may renew a license that has expired at any time within three years after its expiration date by taking all of the actions described in Section 4989.32 and by paying the delinquency fee.

SEC. 39.

 Section 4989.38 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.38.
 A suspended license is subject to expiration and shall be renewed as provided in this article, but such renewal does not entitle the licensee, while it remains suspended and until it is reinstated, to engage in the activity to which the license relates, or in any other activity or conduct in violation of the order or judgment by which it was suspended.

SEC. 40.

 Section 4989.40 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.40.
 A revoked license is subject to expiration as provided in this article and shall not be renewed. The applicant may apply to the board for reinstatement of their license. If it is reinstated after its expiration, the licensee shall, as a condition precedent to its reinstatement, pay a reinstatement fee in an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on which it is reinstated, plus the delinquency fee, if any, accrued at the time of its revocation.

SEC. 41.

 Section 4989.47 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

4989.47.
 Any licensed educational psychologist who conducts a private practice under a fictitious business name shall not use any name that is false, misleading, or deceptive, and shall inform the patient, prior to the commencement of treatment, of the name and license designation of the owner or owners of the practice.

SEC. 42.

 Section 4989.54 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.54.
 The board may deny a license or may suspend or revoke the license of a licensee if the person has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) Conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of an educational psychologist.
(1) The record of conviction shall be conclusive evidence only of the fact that the conviction occurred.
(2) The board may inquire into the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime in order to fix the degree of discipline or to determine if the conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee under this chapter.
(3) A conviction has the same meaning as defined in Section 7.5.
(4) The board may order a license suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a license when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence. All actions pursuant to this subdivision shall be taken pursuant to Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).
(b) Securing a license by fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation on an application for licensure submitted to the board, whether engaged in by an applicant for a license or by a licensee in support of an application for licensure.
(c) Administering to themselves a controlled substance or using any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022 or an alcoholic beverage to the extent, or in a manner, as to be dangerous or injurious to themselves or to any other person or to the public or to the extent that the use impairs their ability to safely perform the functions authorized by the license. The board shall deny an application for a license or revoke the license of any person, other than one who is licensed as a physician and surgeon, who uses or offers to use drugs in the course of performing educational psychology.
(d) Failure to comply with the consent provisions in Section 2290.5.
(e) Advertising in a manner that is false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive, as defined in Section 651.
(f) Violating, attempting to violate, or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any regulation adopted by the board.
(g) Commission of any dishonest, corrupt, or fraudulent act substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee.
(h) Denial of licensure, revocation, suspension, restriction, or any other disciplinary action imposed by another state or territory or possession of the United States or by any other governmental agency, on a license, certificate, or registration to practice educational psychology or any other healing art. A certified copy of the disciplinary action, decision, or judgment shall be conclusive evidence of that action.
(i) Revocation, suspension, or restriction by the board of a license, certificate, or registration to practice as an educational psychologist, a clinical social worker, professional clinical counselor, or marriage and family therapist.
(j) Failure to keep records consistent with sound clinical judgment, the standards of the profession, and the nature of the services being rendered.
(k) Gross negligence or incompetence in the practice of educational psychology.
(l) Misrepresentation as to the type or status of a license held by the licensee or otherwise misrepresenting or permitting misrepresentation of the licensee’s education, professional qualifications, or professional affiliations to any person or entity.
(m) Intentionally or recklessly causing physical or emotional harm to any client.
(n) Engaging in sexual relations with a client or a former client within two years following termination of professional services, soliciting sexual relations with a client, or committing an act of sexual abuse or sexual misconduct with a client or committing an act punishable as a sexually related crime, if that act or solicitation is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensed educational psychologist.
(o) Before the commencement of treatment, failing to disclose to the client or prospective client the fee to be charged for the professional services or the basis upon which that fee will be computed.
(p) Paying, accepting, or soliciting any consideration, compensation, or remuneration, whether monetary or otherwise, for the referral of professional clients.
(q) Failing to maintain confidentiality, except as otherwise required or permitted by law, of all information that has been received from a client in confidence during the course of treatment and all information about the client that is obtained from tests or other means.
(r) Performing, holding oneself out as being able to perform, offering to perform, or permitting any unlicensed person under supervision to perform, any professional services beyond the scope of the license authorized by this chapter or beyond the person’s field or fields of competence as established by the person’s education, training, or experience. For purposes of this subdivision, “unlicensed person” includes, but is not limited to, an applicant for licensure, an associate, an intern, or a trainee under the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980)), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991)), or the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10)).
(s) Reproducing or describing in public, or in any publication subject to general public distribution, any psychological test or other assessment device the value of which depends in whole or in part on the naivete of the subject in ways that might invalidate the test or device. An educational psychologist shall limit access to the test or device to persons with professional interests who can be expected to safeguard its use.
(t) Aiding or abetting an unlicensed person to engage in conduct requiring a license under this chapter.
(u) When employed by another person or agency, encouraging, either orally or in writing, the employer’s or agency’s clientele to utilize the person’s private practice for further counseling without the approval of the employing agency or administration.
(v) Failing to comply with the child abuse reporting requirements of Section 11166 of the Penal Code.
(w) Failing to comply with the elder and adult dependent abuse reporting requirements of Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(x) Willful violation of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(y) (1) Engaging in an act described in Section 261, 286, 287, or 289 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code with a minor or an act described in Section 288 or 288.5 of the Penal Code regardless of whether the act occurred prior to or after the time the registration or license was issued by the board. An act described in this subdivision occurring prior to the effective date of this subdivision shall constitute unprofessional conduct and shall subject the licensee to refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license under this section.
(2) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that protection of the public, and in particular minors, from sexual misconduct by a licensee is a compelling governmental interest, and that the ability to suspend or revoke a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section is equally important to protecting the public as is the ability to refuse a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section.
(z) Engaging in any conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert any licensing examination or the administration of the examination as described in Section 123.
(aa) Impersonation of another by any licensee or applicant for a license, or, in the case of a licensee, allowing any other person to use the person’s license.
(ab) Permitting an unlicensed person under the licensee’s supervision or control to perform, or permitting that person to hold themselves out as competent to perform, mental health services beyond the unlicensed person’s level of education, training, or experience. For purposes of this subdivision, “unlicensed person” is defined in subdivision (r).
(ac) The violation of any statute or regulation governing the gaining and supervision of experience of an unlicensed person, including an unlicensed person identified in subdivision (ab), by a licensee that violates this chapter, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980)), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991)), the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10)), or any rules or regulations adopted by the board pursuant to those provisions. For purposes of this subdivision, “unlicensed person” is defined in subdivision (r).
(ad) The violation of any statute or regulation governing the gaining and supervision of experience of an unlicensed person required by the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980)), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991)), or the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10)).

SEC. 43.

 Section 4989.68 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4989.68.
 (a) The board shall assess the following fees relating to the licensure of educational psychologists:
(1) The application fee for licensure shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(2) The fee for issuance of the initial license shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(3) The fee for the two-year license renewal shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(4) The delinquency fee shall be one-half of the fee for license renewal. A person who permits their license to expire shall be subject to the delinquency fee.
(5) The written examination fee shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500). An applicant who fails to appear for an examination, once having been scheduled, shall forfeit any examination fees they paid.
(6) The fee for rescoring a written examination shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(7) The fee for issuance of a replacement registration, license, or certificate shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(8) The fee for issuance of a certificate or letter of good standing shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
(9) The fee for issuance of a retired license shall be forty dollars ($40).
(b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.

SEC. 44.

 Section 4990 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4990.
 (a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs, a Board of Behavioral Sciences that consists of the following members:
(1) Two state licensed clinical social workers.
(2) One state licensed educational psychologist.
(3) Two state licensed marriage and family therapists.
(4) One state licensed professional clinical counselor.
(5) Seven public members.
(b) Each member, except the seven public members, shall have at least two years of experience in their profession.
(c) Each member shall reside in the State of California.
(d) The Governor shall appoint five of the public members and the six licensed members with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member.
(e) Each member of the board shall be appointed for a term of four years. A member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules or the Speaker of the Assembly shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of their successor or until one year from the expiration date of the term for which they were appointed, whichever first occurs. Pursuant to Section 1774 of the Government Code, a member appointed by the Governor shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of their successor or until 60 days from the expiration date of the term for which they were appointed, whichever first occurs.
(f) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term by the authority who appointed the member whose membership was vacated.
(g) Not later than the first of June of each calendar year, the board shall elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson from its membership.
(h) Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and reimbursement of expenses as provided in Section 103.
(i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.
(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the repeal of this section renders the board subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

SEC. 45.

 Section 4990.04 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4990.04.
 (a) The board shall appoint an executive officer. This position is designated as a confidential position and is exempt from civil service under subdivision (e) of Section 4 of Article VII of the California Constitution.
(b) The executive officer serves at the pleasure of the board.
(c) The executive officer shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in them by this chapter.
(d) With the approval of the director, the board shall fix the salary of the executive officer.
(e) The chairperson and executive officer may call meetings of the board and any duly appointed committee at a specified time and place. For purposes of this section, “call meetings” means setting the agenda, time, date, or place for any meeting of the board or any committee.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.

SEC. 46.

 Section 4990.07 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

4990.07.
 (a) An applicant, registrant, or licensee who has an electronic mail address shall provide the board with that electronic mail address no later than July 1, 2022. The electronic mail address shall be considered confidential and not subject to public disclosure.
(b) An applicant, registrant, and licensee shall provide to the board any and all changes to their electronic mail address no later than 30 calendar days after the changes have occurred.
(c) The board shall, with each renewal application, remind licensees and registrants of their obligation to report and keep current their electronic mail address with the board.

SEC. 47.

 Section 4990.30 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4990.30.
 (a) A licensed marriage and family therapist, associate marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, associate clinical social worker, licensed professional clinical counselor, associate professional clinical counselor, or licensed educational psychologist whose license or registration has been revoked, suspended, or placed on probation, may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of the penalty, including modification or termination of probation. The petition shall be on a form provided by the board and shall state any facts and information as may be required by the board including, but not limited to, proof of compliance with the terms and conditions of the underlying disciplinary order. The petition shall be verified by the petitioner who shall file an original and sufficient copies of the petition, together with any supporting documents, for the members of the board, the administrative law judge, and the Attorney General.
(b) The licensee or registrant may file the petition on or after the expiration of the following timeframes, each of which excludes any periods during which the probation was tolled, and commences on the effective date of the decision ordering the disciplinary action or, if the order of the board, or any portion of it, is stayed by the board itself or by the superior court, from the date the disciplinary action is actually implemented in its entirety:
(1) Three years for reinstatement of a license or registration that was revoked for unprofessional conduct, except that the board may, in its sole discretion, specify in its revocation order that a petition for reinstatement may be filed after two years. A registrant who is ineligible for reinstatement pursuant to Section 4984.01, 4996.28, or 4999.100 may apply for a subsequent registration number.
(2) Two years for early termination of any probation period of three years or more.
(3) One year for modification of a condition, reinstatement of a license or registration revoked for mental or physical illness, or termination of probation of less than three years. A registrant who is ineligible for reinstatement pursuant to Section 4984.01, 4996.28, or 4999.100 may apply for a subsequent registration number.
(c) The petition may be heard by the board itself or the board may assign the petition to an administrative law judge pursuant to Section 11512 of the Government Code.
(d) If the petition is to be heard by the board, the petitioner may request that the board schedule the hearing on the petition for a board meeting at a specific city where the board regularly meets.
(e) The petitioner and the Attorney General shall be given timely notice by letter of the time and place of the hearing on the petition and an opportunity to present both oral and documentary evidence and argument to the board or the administrative law judge.
(f) The petitioner shall at all times have the burden of production and proof to establish by clear and convincing evidence that they are entitled to the relief sought in the petition.
(g) The board, when it is hearing the petition itself, or an administrative law judge sitting for the board, may consider all activities of the petitioner since the disciplinary action was taken, the offense for which the petitioner was disciplined, the petitioner’s activities during the time their license or registration was in good standing, and the petitioner’s rehabilitative efforts, general reputation for truth, and professional ability.
(h) The hearing may be continued from time to time as the board or the administrative law judge deems appropriate but in no case may the hearing on the petition be delayed more than 180 days from its filing without the consent of the petitioner.
(i) The board itself, or the administrative law judge if one is designated by the board, shall hear the petition and shall prepare a written decision setting forth the reasons supporting the decision. In a decision granting a petition reinstating a license or modifying a penalty, the board itself, or the administrative law judge, may impose any terms and conditions that the agency deems reasonably appropriate, including those set forth in Sections 823 and 4990.40. If a petition is heard by an administrative law judge sitting alone, the administrative law judge shall prepare a proposed decision and submit it to the board. The board may take action with respect to the proposed decision and petition as it deems appropriate.
(j) The petitioner shall pay a fingerprinting fee and provide a current set of their fingerprints to the board. The petitioner shall execute a form authorizing release to the board or its designee, of all information concerning the petitioner’s current physical and mental condition. Information provided to the board pursuant to the release shall be confidential and shall not be subject to discovery or subpoena in any other proceeding, and shall not be admissible in any action, other than before the board, to determine the petitioner’s fitness to practice as required by Section 822.
(k) The board may delegate to its executive officer authority to order investigation of the contents of the petition.
(l) No petition shall be considered while the petitioner is under sentence for any criminal offense, including any period during which the petitioner is on court-imposed probation or parole or the petitioner is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code. No petition shall be considered while there is an accusation or petition to revoke probation pending against the petitioner.
(m) Except in those cases where the petitioner has been disciplined for violation of Section 822, the board may in its discretion deny without hearing or argument any petition that is filed pursuant to this section within a period of two years from the effective date of a prior decision following a hearing under this section.

SEC. 48.

 Section 4992.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4992.3.
 The board may deny a license or a registration, or may suspend or revoke the license or registration of a licensee or registrant if the licensee or registrant has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) The conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. The record of conviction shall be conclusive evidence only of the fact that the conviction occurred. The board may inquire into the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime in order to fix the degree of discipline or to determine if the conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. A conviction has the same meaning as defined in Section 7.5. The board may order any license or registration suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a license or registration when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or, when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence. All actions pursuant to this subdivision shall be taken pursuant to Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).
(b) Securing a license or registration by fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation on any application for licensure or registration submitted to the board, whether engaged in by an applicant for a license or registration, or by a licensee in support of any application for licensure or registration.
(c) Administering to themself any controlled substance or using any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022 or any alcoholic beverage to the extent, or in a manner, as to be dangerous or injurious to the person applying for a registration or license or holding a registration or license under this chapter, or to any other person, or to the public, or, to the extent that the use impairs the ability of the person applying for or holding a registration or license to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by the registration or license. The board shall deny an application for a registration or license or revoke the license or registration of any person who uses or offers to use drugs in the course of performing clinical social work. This provision does not apply to any person also licensed as a physician and surgeon under Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) or the Osteopathic Act who lawfully prescribes drugs to a patient under the person’s care.
(d) Incompetence in the performance of clinical social work.
(e) An act or omission that falls sufficiently below the standard of conduct of the profession as to constitute an act of gross negligence.
(f) Violating, attempting to violate, or conspiring to violate this chapter or any regulation adopted by the board.
(g) Misrepresentation as to the type or status of a license or registration held by the licensee or registrant or otherwise misrepresenting or permitting misrepresentation of the licensee’s or registrant’s education, professional qualifications, or professional affiliations to any person or entity. For purposes of this subdivision, this misrepresentation includes, but is not limited to, misrepresentation of the person’s qualifications as an adoption service provider pursuant to Section 8502 of the Family Code.
(h) Impersonation of another by any licensee, registrant, or applicant for a license or registration, or, in the case of a licensee or registrant, allowing any other person to use the licensee’s or registrant’s license or registration.
(i) Aiding or abetting, or employing, directly or indirectly, any unlicensed or unregistered person to engage in conduct for which a license or registration is required under this chapter.
(j) Intentionally or recklessly causing physical or emotional harm to any client.
(k) The commission of any dishonest, corrupt, or fraudulent act substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant.
(l) Engaging in sexual relations with a client or with a former client within two years from the termination date of therapy with the client, soliciting sexual relations with a client, or committing an act of sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct with a client, or committing an act punishable as a sexually related crime, if that act or solicitation is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a clinical social worker.
(m) Performing, or holding oneself out as being able to perform, or offering to perform or permitting, any registered associate, trainee, or applicant for licensure under supervision to perform any professional services beyond the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(n) Failure to maintain confidentiality, except as otherwise required or permitted by law, of all information that has been received from a client in confidence during the course of treatment and all information about the client that is obtained from tests or other means.
(o) Prior to the commencement of treatment, failing to disclose to the client or prospective client the fee to be charged for the professional services, or the basis upon which that fee will be computed.
(p) Paying, accepting, or soliciting any consideration, compensation, or remuneration, whether monetary or otherwise, for the referral of professional clients. All consideration, compensation, or remuneration shall be in relation to professional counseling services actually provided by the licensee. This subdivision does not prevent collaboration among two or more licensees in a case or cases. However, no fee shall be charged for that collaboration, except when disclosure of the fee has been made in compliance with subdivision (o).
(q) Advertising in a manner that is false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive, as defined in Section 651.
(r) Reproduction or description in public, or in any publication subject to general public distribution, of any psychological test or other assessment device, the value of which depends in whole or in part on the naivete of the subject, in ways that might invalidate the test or device. A licensee shall limit access to that test or device to persons with professional interest who are expected to safeguard its use.
(s) Any conduct in the supervision of any registered associate, trainee, or applicant for licensure by any licensee that violates this chapter or any rules or regulations adopted by the board.
(t) Performing or holding oneself out as being able to perform mental health services beyond the scope of one’s competence, as established by one’s education, training, or experience. This subdivision shall not be construed to expand the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(u) Permitting an applicant for licensure, trainee, or registrant under one’s supervision or control to perform, or permitting the supervisee to hold themself out as competent to perform, mental health services beyond the supervisee’s level of education, training, or experience.
(v) The violation of any law governing the gaining or supervision of experience required by this chapter.
(w) Failure to keep records consistent with sound clinical judgment, the standards of the profession, and the nature of the services being rendered.
(x) Failure to comply with the child abuse reporting requirements of Section 11166 of the Penal Code.
(y) Failure to comply with the elder and dependent adult abuse reporting requirements of Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(z) Willful violation of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.
(aa) Failure to comply with Section 2290.5.
(ab) (1) Engaging in an act described in Section 261, 286, 287, or 289 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code with a minor or an act described in Section 288 or 288.5 of the Penal Code regardless of whether the act occurred prior to or after the time the registration or license was issued by the board. An act described in this subdivision occurring prior to the effective date of this subdivision shall constitute unprofessional conduct and shall subject the licensee to refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license under this section.
(2) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that protection of the public, and in particular minors, from sexual misconduct by a licensee is a compelling governmental interest, and that the ability to suspend or revoke a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section is equally important to protecting the public as is the ability to refuse a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section.
(ac) Engaging in any conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert any licensing examination or the administration of the examination as described in Section 123.

SEC. 49.

 Section 4996.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.2.
 Each applicant for a license shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant complies with all of the following requirements:
(a) Is at least 21 years of age.
(b) Has received a master’s degree from an accredited school of social work.
(c) Has had two years of supervised post-master’s degree experience, as specified in Section 4996.23.
(d) Not be subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480. The board shall not issue a registration or license to any person who has been convicted of any crime in this or another state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory, in accordance with Section 480.
(e) Has completed adequate instruction and training in the subject of alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency. This requirement applies only to applicants who matriculate on or after January 1, 1986.
(f) Has completed instruction and training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention. This requirement applies to an applicant who began graduate training during the period commencing on January 1, 1995, and ending on December 31, 2003. An applicant who began graduate training on or after January 1, 2004, shall complete a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, and same gender abuse dynamics. Coursework required under this subdivision may be satisfactory if taken either in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or in a separate course.
(g) Has completed a minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality as specified in Section 1807 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations. This training or coursework may be satisfactory if taken either in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or in a separate course.
(h) Has completed a minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 1807.2 of Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations. This training or coursework may be satisfactory if taken either in fulfillment of other educational requirements for licensure or in a separate course.

SEC. 50.

 Section 4996.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.3.
 (a) The board shall assess the following fees relating to the licensure of clinical social workers:
(1) The application fee for registration as an associate clinical social worker shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(2) The fee for annual renewal of an associate clinical social worker registration shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(3) The fee for application for licensure shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(4) (A) (i) The fee for the board-administered clinical examination, if the board chooses to adopt this examination in regulations, shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(ii) The fee for the California law and ethics examination shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(B) An applicant who fails to appear for an examination, after having been scheduled to take the examination, shall forfeit the examination fees.
(C) The amount of the examination fees shall be based on the actual cost to the board of developing, purchasing, and grading each examination and the actual cost to the board of administering each examination. The written examination fees shall be adjusted periodically by regulation to reflect the actual costs incurred by the board.
(5) The fee for rescoring an examination shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(6) The fee for issuance of an initial license shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(7) The fee for the two-year license renewal shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(8) The renewal delinquency fee shall be one-half of the fee for license renewal. A person who permits their license to expire shall be subject to the delinquency fee.
(9) The fee for issuance of a replacement registration, license, or certificate shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(10) The fee for issuance of a certificate or letter of good standing shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
(11) The fee for issuance of a retired license shall be forty dollars ($40).
(b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.

SEC. 51.

 Section 4996.14 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.14.
 (a) This chapter shall not be construed to constrict, limit, or withdraw the Medical Practice Act, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act, the Nursing Practice Act, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, or the Psychology Licensing Law.
(b) This chapter shall not apply to an unlicensed or unregistered employee or volunteer working in a governmental entity, a school, a college, a university, or an institution that is both nonprofit and charitable if both of the following apply:
(1) The work of the employee or volunteer is performed solely under the supervision of the entity.
(2) (A) On and after July 1, 2020, the employee or volunteer provides a client, prior to initiating psychotherapy services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a notice written in at least 12-point type that is in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The (Name of office or unit) of the (Name of agency) receives and responds to complaints regarding the practice of psychotherapy by any unlicensed or unregistered practitioner providing services at (Name of agency). To file a complaint, contact (Telephone number, email address, internet website, or mailing address of agency).
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by individuals licensed and registered by the board. If you have a complaint and are unsure if your practitioner is licensed or registered, please contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences at 916-574-7830 for assistance or utilize the board’s online license verification feature by visiting www.bbs.ca.gov.

(B) The delivery of the notice described in subparagraph (A) to the client shall be documented.
(c) This chapter shall not apply to a person using hypnotic techniques if their client was referred by a physician and surgeon, dentist, or psychologist.
(d) This chapter shall not apply to a person using hypnotic techniques that offer vocational self-improvement, and the person is not performing therapy for emotional or mental disorders.

SEC. 52.

 Section 4996.17.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.17.2.
 (a) This section applies to persons with education gained from an out-of-state school or experience gained outside of California who apply for licensure or registration and who do not qualify for a license under Section 4996.17.1.
(b) The board shall accept experience gained outside of California for the purpose of satisfying the licensure requirements if the experience is substantially the equivalent to the requirements of this chapter. If the applicant has fewer than 3,000 hours of qualifying supervised experience, the board shall accept as qualifying experience the amount of time the applicant held an active license in good standing in another state or country as a clinical social worker at the highest level for independent practice at a rate of 100 hours per month, up to a maximum of 1,200 hours.
(c) The board shall accept education gained from an out-of-state school for purposes of satisfying licensure or registration requirements if the applicant has received a master’s degree from an accredited school of social work, or complies with subdivision (e) of Section 4996.18.
(d) In addition to the experience and education described in subdivisions (b) and (c), the applicant shall pass, or have passed, the licensing examinations as specified in Section 4996.1 and pay the required fees. Issuance of the license is conditioned upon all of the following:
(1) The applicant has supervised experience as described in subdivision (b).
(2) Completion of the coursework or training specified in this paragraph taken from an accredited school or department of social work, a school, college, or university accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education, a school, college, or university that is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, or from a continuing education provider that is identified as acceptable to the board pursuant to Section 4996.22. Undergraduate coursework shall not satisfy this requirement. This coursework may be completed while registered as an associate, unless otherwise specified.
(A) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(B) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality, as specified in Section 25, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(C) A minimum of 15 contact hours of training or coursework in alcoholism and other chemical substance dependency, as specified by regulation.
(D) A minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework or training in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies.
(E) A minimum of 10 contact hours of coursework in aging and long-term care, as specified in Section 4996.25.
(F) Completion of a 12-hour course in California law and professional ethics. The content of the course shall include, but not be limited to, the following: advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous patients, psychotherapist-patient privilege, recordkeeping, patient access to records, state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to patients, the application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings, and licensing law and process. This coursework shall be completed before registration as an associate.
(G) At least one semester unit, or 15 hours, of instruction that includes an understanding of various California cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
(3) On and after January 1, 2021, an applicant for licensure shall show proof of completion of at least six hours of coursework or applied experience under supervision in suicide risk assessment and intervention using one of the methods specified in Section 4996.27.
(4) The applicant’s license is in good standing and is not suspended, revoked, restricted, sanctioned, or voluntarily surrendered in any state.
(5) The applicant is not currently under investigation in any other state, and has not been charged with an offense for any act substantially related to the practice of social work by any public agency, entered into any consent agreement or been subject to an administrative decision that contains conditions placed by an agency upon an applicant’s professional conduct or practice, including any voluntary surrender of license, or been the subject of an adverse judgment resulting from the practice of social work that the board determines constitutes evidence of a pattern of incompetence or negligence.
(6) The applicant shall provide a certification from each state where the applicant holds a license pertaining to licensure, disciplinary action, and complaints pending.
(7) The applicant is not subject to denial of licensure under Section 480, 4992.3, 4992.35, or 4992.36.
(e) An applicant who obtained a license or registration under another state or country may qualify for licensure with the board without taking the clinical examination specified in Section 4996.1 if both of the following conditions are met:
(1) The applicant obtained a passing score on the clinical licensing examination set forth in regulation as accepted by the board.
(2) The applicant’s license or registration in that state or country is active and in good standing at the time of the application and is not revoked, suspended, surrendered, denied, or otherwise restricted or encumbered.

SEC. 53.

 Section 4996.18 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.18.
 (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 4996.23, an applicant shall have an active registration with the board as an associate clinical social worker in order to gain hours of supervised experience. The application shall be made on a form prescribed by the board.
(b) An applicant for registration shall satisfy the following requirements:
(1) Possess a master’s degree from an accredited school or department of social work.
(2) Not be subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480.
(3) Have completed training or coursework, which may be embedded within more than one course, in California law and professional ethics for clinical social workers. The coursework shall be taken from an accredited school or department of social work, a school, college, or university accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education, a school, college, or university that is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, or from a continuing education provider that is acceptable to the board, as defined in Section 4996.22. Undergraduate coursework shall not satisfy this requirement. The coursework shall include instruction in all of the following areas of study:
(A) Contemporary professional ethics and statutes, regulations, and court decisions that delineate the scope of practice of clinical social work.
(B) The therapeutic, clinical, and practical considerations involved in the legal and ethical practice of clinical social work, including, but not limited to, family law.
(C) The current legal patterns and trends in the mental health professions.
(D) The psychotherapist-patient privilege, confidentiality, dangerous patients, and the treatment of minors with and without parental consent.
(E) A recognition and exploration of the relationship between a practitioner’s sense of self and human values, and the practitioner’s professional behavior and ethics.
(F) The application of legal and ethical standards in different types of work settings.
(G) Licensing law and process.
(c) An applicant who possesses a master’s degree from a school or department of social work that is a candidate for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education shall be eligible, and, except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 4996.23, shall be required to register as an associate clinical social worker in order to gain experience toward licensure if the applicant is not subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480. That applicant shall not, however, be eligible to take the clinical examination until the school or department of social work has received accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education.
(d) An applicant who possesses a master’s degree from an accredited school or department of social work shall be able to apply experience the applicant obtained during the time the accredited school or department was in candidacy status by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education toward the licensure requirements, if the experience meets the requirements of Section 4996.23. This subdivision shall apply retroactively to persons who possess a master’s degree from an accredited school or department of social work and who obtained experience during the time the accredited school or department was in candidacy status by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education.
(e) An applicant for registration or licensure trained in an educational institution outside the United States shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that the applicant possesses a master’s of social work degree that is equivalent to a master’s degree issued from a school or department of social work that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education. These applicants shall provide the board with a comprehensive evaluation of the degree and shall provide any other documentation the board deems necessary. The board has the authority to make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements regardless of evaluation or accreditation.
(f) All applicants for licensure and registrants shall be at all times under the supervision of a supervisor who shall be responsible for ensuring that the extent, kind, and quality of counseling performed is consistent with the training and experience of the person being supervised and who shall be responsible to the board for compliance with all laws governing the practice of clinical social work.
(g) All applicants and registrants shall inform each client or patient before performing any professional services that the applicant or registrant is unlicensed and is under the supervision of a licensed professional.

SEC. 54.

 Section 4996.22 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.22.
 (a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that the applicant has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of social work in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.
(2) The board shall not renew any license of an applicant who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2004, pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board that during the applicant’s first renewal period after the operative date of this section, the applicant completed a continuing education course in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies, including community resources, cultural factors, and same gender abuse dynamics. On and after January 1, 2005, the course shall consist of not less than seven hours of training. Equivalent courses in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies taken prior to the operative date of this section or proof of equivalent teaching or practice experience may be submitted to the board and at its discretion, may be accepted in satisfaction of this requirement. Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this paragraph shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education required under paragraph (1).
(b) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completion of required continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.
(c) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirement of this section for good cause as defined by the board.
(d) The continuing education shall be obtained from one of the following sources:
(1) An accredited school of social work, as defined in Section 4991.2, or a school or department of social work that is a candidate for accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring coursework to be offered as part of a regular degree program.
(2) A school, college, or university accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the United States Department of Education or a school, college, or university that is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
(3) Another continuing education provider, as specified by the board by regulation.
(e) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure for identifying acceptable providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (d), shall adhere to the procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(f) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:
(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding, or the practice, of social work.
(2) Aspects of the social work discipline in which significant recent developments have occurred.
(3) Aspects of other related disciplines that enhance the understanding, or the practice, of social work.
(g) A system of continuing education for licensed clinical social workers shall include courses directly related to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the client population being served.
(h) The continuing education requirements of this section shall comply fully with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.
(i) The board may adopt regulations as necessary to implement this section.

SEC. 55.

 Section 4996.61 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

4996.61.
 A suspended license is subject to expiration and shall be renewed as provided in this article, but such renewal does not entitle the licensee, while the license remains suspended and until it is reinstated, to engage in the activity to which the license relates, or in any other activity or conduct in violation of the order or judgment by which it was suspended.

SEC. 56.

 Section 4996.62 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

4996.62.
 A revoked license is subject to expiration as provided in this article, but it may not be renewed. If it is reinstated after its expiration, the licensee shall, as a condition precedent to its reinstatement, pay a reinstatement fee in an amount equal to the renewal fee in effect on the last regular renewal date before the date on which it is reinstated, plus the delinquency fee, if any, accrued at the time of its revocation.

SEC. 57.

 Section 4996.75 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.75.
 (a) On and after July 1, 2020, a licensee or registrant shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychotherapy services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of clinical social workers. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.

(b) Delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.

SEC. 58.

 Section 4998 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4998.
 A licensed clinical social worker corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees rendering professional services are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code), this article, and all other statutes and regulations now or hereafter enacted or adopted pertaining to that corporation and the conduct of its affairs. With respect to a licensed clinical social worker corporation, the governmental agency referred to in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act is the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SEC. 59.

 Section 4998.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4998.2.
 Notwithstanding Section 4996, the name of a licensed clinical social worker corporation and any name or names under which it may be rendering professional services shall contain the words “licensed clinical social worker” and wording or abbreviations denoting corporate existence.
A licensed clinical social worker corporation that conducts business under a fictitious business name shall not use any name that is false, misleading, or deceptive, and shall inform the patient, prior to the commencement of treatment, that the business is conducted by a licensed clinical social worker corporation.

SEC. 60.

 Section 4999.22 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.22.
 (a) Nothing in this chapter shall prevent qualified persons from doing work of a psychosocial nature consistent with the standards and ethics of their respective professions. However, these qualified persons shall not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “licensed professional clinical counselor” and shall not state that they are licensed to practice professional clinical counseling, unless they are otherwise licensed to provide professional clinical counseling services.
(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to constrict, limit, or withdraw provisions of the Medical Practice Act, the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act, the Nursing Practice Act, the Psychology Licensing Law, or the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act.
(c) This chapter shall not apply to any priest, rabbi, or minister of the gospel of any religious denomination who performs counseling services as part of their pastoral or professional duties, or to any person who is admitted to practice law in this state, or who is licensed to practice medicine, who provides counseling services as part of their professional practice.
(d) This chapter shall not apply to an unlicensed or unregistered employee or volunteer working in a governmental entity or a school, a college, a university, or an institution that is both nonprofit and charitable, if both of the following apply:
(1) The work of the employee or volunteer is performed solely under the supervision of the entity.
(2) (A) On and after July 1, 2020, the employee or volunteer provides a client, prior to initiating psychotherapy services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a notice written in at least 12-point type that is in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The (Name of office or unit) of the (Name of agency) receives and responds to complaints regarding the practice of psychotherapy by any unlicensed or unregistered counselor practitioner providing services at (Name of agency). To file a complaint, contact (Telephone number, email address, internet website, or mailing address of agency).
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by individuals licensed and registered by the board. If you have a complaint and are unsure if your practitioner is licensed or registered, please contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences at 916-574-7830 for assistance or utilize the board’s online license verification feature by visiting www.bbs.ca.gov.

(B) The delivery of the notice described in subparagraph (A) to the client shall be documented.
(e) All persons registered as associates or licensed under this chapter shall not be exempt from this chapter or the jurisdiction of the board.

SEC. 61.

 Section 4999.32 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.32.
 (a) This section shall apply to applicants for licensure or registration who began graduate study before August 1, 2012, and completed that study on or before December 31, 2018. Those applicants may alternatively qualify under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 4999.33.
(b) To qualify for licensure or registration, applicants shall possess a master’s or doctoral degree that is counseling or psychotherapy in content and that meets the requirements of this section, obtained from an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12. For purposes of this subdivision, a degree is “counseling or psychotherapy in content” if it contains the supervised practicum or field study experience described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) and, except as provided in subdivision (d), the coursework in the core content areas listed in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).
(c) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall be a single, integrated program that contains not less than 48 graduate semester units or 72 graduate quarter units of instruction, which shall, except as provided in subdivision (d), include all of the following:
(1) The equivalent of at least three semester units or four quarter units of graduate study in each of the following core content areas:
(A) Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques, including the counseling process in a multicultural society, an orientation to wellness and prevention, counseling theories to assist in selection of appropriate counseling interventions, models of counseling consistent with current professional research and practice, development of a personal model of counseling, and multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies, and disasters.
(B) Human growth and development across the lifespan, including normal and abnormal behavior and an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior.
(C) Career development theories and techniques, including career development decisionmaking models and interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the role of multicultural issues in career development.
(D) Group counseling theories and techniques, including principles of group dynamics, group process components, developmental stage theories, therapeutic factors of group work, group leadership styles and approaches, pertinent research and literature, group counseling methods, and evaluation of effectiveness.
(E) Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals, including basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized testing and other assessment techniques, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, statistical concepts, social and cultural factors related to assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups, and ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment instruments and techniques in counseling.
(F) Multicultural counseling theories and techniques, including counselors’ roles in developing cultural self-awareness, identity development, promoting cultural social justice, individual and community strategies for working with and advocating for diverse populations, and counselors’ roles in eliminating biases and prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.
(G) Principles of the diagnostic process, including differential diagnosis, and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the impact of co-occurring substance use disorders or medical psychological disorders, established diagnostic criteria for mental or emotional disorders, and the treatment modalities and placement criteria within the continuum of care.
(H) Research and evaluation, including studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, the use of research to inform evidence-based practice, the importance of research in advancing the profession of counseling, and statistical methods used in conducting research, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
(I) Professional orientation, ethics, and law in counseling, including professional ethical standards and legal considerations, licensing law and process, regulatory laws that delineate the profession’s scope of practice, counselor-client privilege, confidentiality, the client dangerous to self or others, treatment of minors with or without parental consent, relationship between practitioner’s sense of self and human values, functions and relationships with other human service providers, strategies for collaboration, and advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients.
(2) In addition to the course requirements described in paragraph (1), a minimum of 12 semester units or 18 quarter units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues, special populations, application of counseling constructs, assessment and treatment planning, clinical interventions, therapeutic relationships, psychopathology, or other clinical topics.
(3) Not less than six semester units or nine quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience that involves direct client contact in a clinical setting that provides a range of professional clinical counseling experience, including the following:
(A) Applied psychotherapeutic techniques.
(B) Assessment.
(C) Diagnosis.
(D) Prognosis.
(E) Treatment planning.
(F) Treatment.
(G) Issues of development, adjustment, and maladjustment.
(H) Health and wellness promotion.
(I) Other recognized counseling interventions.
(J) A minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face supervised clinical experience counseling individuals, families, or groups.
(d) (1) (A) An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than two of the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) may satisfy those deficiencies by successfully completing postmaster’s or postdoctoral degree coursework at an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an applicant shall not be deficient in the required areas of study specified in subparagraph (E) or (G) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) unless the applicant meets one of the following criteria and remediates the deficiency:
(i) The application for licensure was received by the board on or before August 31, 2020.
(ii) The application for registration was received by the board on or before August 31, 2020, and the registration was subsequently issued by the board.
(2) Coursework taken to meet deficiencies in the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (I), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall be the equivalent of three semester units or four quarter units of study.
(3) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation.
(e) In addition to the degree described in this section, or as part of that degree, an applicant shall complete the following coursework or training prior to registration as an associate:
(1) A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in alcoholism and other chemical substance abuse dependency, as specified by regulation.
(2) A minimum of 10 contact hours of training or coursework in human sexuality as specified in Section 25, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(3) A two semester unit or three quarter unit survey course in psychopharmacology.
(4) A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies, including knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, and same gender abuse dynamics.
(5) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting as specified in Section 28 and any regulations adopted thereunder.
(6) A minimum of 18 contact hours of instruction in California law and professional ethics for professional clinical counselors that includes, but is not limited to, instruction in advertising, scope of practice, scope of competence, treatment of minors, confidentiality, dangerous clients, psychotherapist-client privilege, recordkeeping, client access to records, dual relationships, child abuse, elder and dependent adult abuse, online therapy, insurance reimbursement, civil liability, disciplinary actions and unprofessional conduct, ethics complaints and ethical standards, termination of therapy, standards of care, relevant family law, therapist disclosures to clients, and state and federal laws related to confidentiality of patient health information. When coursework in a master’s or doctoral degree program is acquired to satisfy this requirement, it shall be considered as part of the 48 semester unit or 72 quarter unit requirement in subdivision (c).
(7) A minimum of 10 contact hours of instruction in aging and long-term care, which may include, but is not limited to, the biological, social, and psychological aspects of aging. On and after January 1, 2012, this coursework shall include instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect.
(8) A minimum of 15 contact hours of instruction in crisis or trauma counseling, including multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies, or disasters, and brief, intermediate, and long-term approaches.

SEC. 62.

 Section 4999.33 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.33.
 (a) This section shall apply to the following:
(1) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before August 1, 2012, and do not complete that study on or before December 31, 2018.
(2) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study before August 1, 2012, and who graduate from a degree program that meets the requirements of this section.
(3) Applicants for licensure or registration who begin graduate study on or after August 1, 2012.
(b) To qualify for licensure or registration, applicants shall possess a master’s or doctoral degree that is counseling or psychotherapy in content and that meets the requirements of this section, obtained from an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12. For purposes of this subdivision, a degree is “counseling or psychotherapy in content” if it contains the supervised practicum or field study experience described in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) and, except as provided in subdivision (f), the coursework in the core content areas listed in subparagraphs (A) to (M), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c).
(c) The degree described in subdivision (b) shall be a single, integrated program that contains not less than 60 graduate semester units or 90 graduate quarter units of instruction, which shall, except as provided in subdivision (f), include all of the following:
(1) The equivalent of at least three semester units or four quarter units of graduate study in all of the following core content areas:
(A) Counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques, including the counseling process in a multicultural society, an orientation to wellness and prevention, counseling theories to assist in selection of appropriate counseling interventions, models of counseling consistent with current professional research and practice, development of a personal model of counseling, and multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies, and disasters.
(B) Human growth and development across the lifespan, including normal and abnormal behavior and an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior.
(C) Career development theories and techniques, including career development decisionmaking models and interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the role of multicultural issues in career development.
(D) Group counseling theories and techniques, including principles of group dynamics, group process components, group developmental stage theories, therapeutic factors of group work, group leadership styles and approaches, pertinent research and literature, group counseling methods, and evaluation of effectiveness.
(E) Assessment, appraisal, and testing of individuals, including basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized testing and other assessment techniques, norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, statistical concepts, social and cultural factors related to assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups, and ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment instruments and techniques in counseling.
(F) Multicultural counseling theories and techniques, including counselors’ roles in developing cultural self-awareness, identity development, promoting cultural social justice, individual and community strategies for working with and advocating for diverse populations, and counselors’ roles in eliminating biases and prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.
(G) Principles of the diagnostic process, including differential diagnosis, and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the impact of co-occurring substance use disorders or medical psychological disorders, established diagnostic criteria for mental or emotional disorders, and the treatment modalities and placement criteria within the continuum of care.
(H) Research and evaluation, including studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, the use of research to inform evidence-based practice, the importance of research in advancing the profession of counseling, and statistical methods used in conducting research, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
(I) Professional orientation, ethics, and law in counseling, including California law and professional ethics for professional clinical counselors, professional ethical standards and legal considerations, licensing law and process, regulatory laws that delineate the profession’s scope of practice, counselor-client privilege, confidentiality, the client dangerous to self or others, treatment of minors with or without parental consent, relationship between practitioner’s sense of self and human values, functions and relationships with other human service providers, strategies for collaboration, and advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients.
(J) Psychopharmacology, including the biological bases of behavior, basic classifications, indications, and contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications so that appropriate referrals can be made for medication evaluations and so that the side effects of those medications can be identified.
(K) Addictions counseling, including substance abuse, co-occurring disorders, and addiction, major approaches to identification, evaluation, treatment, and prevention of substance abuse and addiction, legal and medical aspects of substance abuse, populations at risk, the role of support persons, support systems, and community resources.
(L) Crisis or trauma counseling, including crisis theory; multidisciplinary responses to crises, emergencies, or disasters; cognitive, affective, behavioral, and neurological effects associated with trauma; brief, intermediate, and long-term approaches; and assessment strategies for clients in crisis and principles of intervention for individuals with mental or emotional disorders during times of crisis, emergency, or disaster.
(M) Advanced counseling and psychotherapeutic theories and techniques, including the application of counseling constructs, assessment and treatment planning, clinical interventions, therapeutic relationships, psychopathology, or other clinical topics.
(2) In addition to the course requirements described in paragraph (1), 15 semester units or 22.5 quarter units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues or special populations.
(3) Not less than six semester units or nine quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience that involves direct client contact in a clinical setting that provides a range of professional clinical counseling experience, including the following:
(A) Applied psychotherapeutic techniques.
(B) Assessment.
(C) Diagnosis.
(D) Prognosis.
(E) Treatment planning.
(F) Treatment.
(G) Issues of development, adjustment, and maladjustment.
(H) Health and wellness promotion.
(I) Professional writing including documentation of services, treatment plans, and progress notes.
(J) How to find and use resources.
(K) Other recognized counseling interventions.
(L) A minimum of 280 hours of face-to-face supervised clinical experience counseling individuals, families, or groups.
(d) The 60 graduate semester units or 90 graduate quarter units of instruction required pursuant to subdivision (c) shall, in addition to meeting the requirements of subdivision (c), include instruction in all of the following:
(1) The understanding of human behavior within the social context of socioeconomic status and other contextual issues affecting social position.
(2) The understanding of human behavior within the social context of a representative variety of the cultures found within California.
(3) Cultural competency and sensitivity, including a familiarity with the racial, cultural, linguistic, and ethnic backgrounds of persons living in California.
(4) An understanding of the effects of socioeconomic status on treatment and available resources.
(5) Multicultural development and cross-cultural interaction, including experiences of race, ethnicity, class, spirituality, sexual orientation, gender, and disability and their incorporation into the psychotherapeutic process.
(6) Case management, systems of care for the severely mentally ill, public and private services for the severely mentally ill, community resources for victims of abuse, disaster and trauma response, advocacy for the severely mentally ill, and collaborative treatment. The instruction required in this paragraph may be provided either in credit level coursework or through extension programs offered by the degree-granting institution.
(7) Human sexuality, including the study of the physiological, psychological, and social cultural variables associated with sexual behavior, gender identity, and the assessment and treatment of psychosexual dysfunction.
(8) Spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, intervention strategies, and same gender abuse dynamics.
(9) A minimum of seven contact hours of training or coursework in child abuse assessment and reporting, as specified in Section 28, and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(10) Aging and long-term care, including biological, social, cognitive, and psychological aspects of aging. This coursework shall include instruction on the assessment and reporting of, as well as treatment related to, elder and dependent adult abuse and neglect.
(e) A degree program that qualifies for licensure under this section shall do all of the following:
(1) Integrate the principles of mental health recovery-oriented care and methods of service delivery in recovery-oriented practice environments.
(2) Integrate an understanding of various cultures and the social and psychological implications of socioeconomic position.
(3) Provide the opportunity for students to meet with various consumers and family members of consumers of mental health services to enhance understanding of their experience of mental illness, treatment, and recovery.
(f) (1) (A) An applicant whose degree is deficient in no more than three of the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (M), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) may satisfy those deficiencies by successfully completing post-master’s or postdoctoral degree coursework at an accredited or approved institution, as defined in Section 4999.12.
(B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), an applicant shall not be deficient in the required areas of study specified in subparagraphs (E) or (G) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) unless the applicant meets one of the following criteria and remediates the deficiency:
(i) The application for licensure was received by the board on or before August 31, 2020.
(ii) The application for registration was received by the board on or before August 31, 2020, and the registration was subsequently issued by the board.
(2) Coursework taken to meet deficiencies in the required areas of study listed in subparagraphs (A) to (M), inclusive, of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) shall be the equivalent of three semester units or four quarter units of study.
(3) The board shall make the final determination as to whether a degree meets all requirements, including, but not limited to, course requirements, regardless of accreditation.

SEC. 63.

 Section 4999.42 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.42.
 (a) An applicant shall meet all of the following qualifications to qualify for registration as an associate:
(1) Earned a master’s or doctoral degree as specified in Section 4999.32 or 4999.33, as applicable. An applicant whose education qualifies the applicant under Section 4999.32 shall also have completed the coursework or training specified in subdivision (e) of Section 4999.32.
(2) Be at least 18 years of age.
(3) Not be subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480.
(b) (1) The board shall not issue a registration to any person who has been convicted of a crime in this or another state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory.
(2) A denial issued pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the conditions for denial specified in Section 480.

SEC. 64.

 Section 4999.46.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.46.1.
 (a) An associate or applicant for licensure shall be under the supervision of a supervisor at all times.
(b) An associate shall do both of the following:
(1) Inform each client, before performing any professional services, that the associate is unlicensed and under supervision.
(2) Renew the registration a maximum of five times. A registration shall not be renewed or reinstated beyond six years from the last day of the month during which it was issued, regardless of whether it has been revoked.
(c) When no further renewals are possible, an applicant may apply for and obtain a subsequent associate registration number if the applicant meets the educational requirements for a subsequent associate registration number and has passed the California law and ethics examination. An applicant issued a subsequent associate registration number shall not be employed or volunteer in a private practice.

SEC. 65.

 Section 4999.51 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.51.
 An applicant for licensure as a professional clinical counselor or registration as an associate shall satisfy the following qualifications:
(a) Not be subject to denial of licensure pursuant to Section 480.
(b) (1) Not have been convicted of a crime in this or another state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory.
(2) A denial issued pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the conditions for denial specified in Section 480.
(c) Have successfully passed a state and federal level criminal offender record information search conducted through the Department of Justice by submitting fingerprint images and other information to the Department of Justice for the purpose of obtaining records of state and federal convictions and arrests. The board shall request the subsequent arrest notification service on all applicants, pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code.

SEC. 66.

 Section 4999.71 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.71.
 (a) Effective July 1, 2020, a licensee or registrant shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychotherapy services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows:

NOTICE TO CLIENTS
The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of professional clinical counselors. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.

(b) The delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.

SEC. 67.

 Section 4999.76 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.76.
 (a) Except as provided in subdivision (c), the board shall not renew any license pursuant to this chapter unless the applicant certifies to the board, on a form prescribed by the board, that the applicant has completed not less than 36 hours of approved continuing education in or relevant to the field of professional clinical counseling in the preceding two years, as determined by the board.
(b) The board shall have the right to audit the records of any applicant to verify the completion of the continuing education requirement. Applicants shall maintain records of completed continuing education coursework for a minimum of two years and shall make these records available to the board for auditing purposes upon request.
(c) The board may establish exceptions from the continuing education requirement of this section for good cause, as defined by the board.
(d) The continuing education shall be obtained from one of the following sources:
(1) A school, college, or university that is accredited or approved, as defined in Section 4999.12. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring coursework to be offered as part of a regular degree program.
(2) Other continuing education providers as specified by the board by regulation.
(e) The board shall establish, by regulation, a procedure for identifying acceptable providers of continuing education courses, and all providers of continuing education, as described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (d), shall adhere to procedures established by the board. The board may revoke or deny the right of a provider to offer continuing education coursework pursuant to this section for failure to comply with this section or any regulation adopted pursuant to this section.
(f) Training, education, and coursework by approved providers shall incorporate one or more of the following:
(1) Aspects of the discipline that are fundamental to the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.
(2) Significant recent developments in the discipline of professional clinical counseling.
(3) Aspects of other disciplines that enhance the understanding or the practice of professional clinical counseling.
(g) A system of continuing education for licensed professional clinical counselors shall include courses directly related to the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of the client population being served.
(h) The continuing education requirements of this section shall fully comply with the guidelines for mandatory continuing education established by the Department of Consumer Affairs pursuant to Section 166.

SEC. 68.

 Section 4999.80 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.80.
 In order to carry out the provisions of this chapter, the board shall do all of the following:
(a) Enforce laws designed to protect the public from incompetent, unethical, or unprofessional practitioners.
(b) Investigate complaints concerning the conduct of any licensed professional clinical counselor.
(c) Revoke, suspend, or fail to renew a license that it has authority to issue for just cause, as enumerated in rules and regulations of the board. The board may deny, suspend, or revoke any license granted under this chapter pursuant to Section 480, 481, 484, 490, 496, 498, or 499.

SEC. 69.

 Section 4999.90 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.90.
 The board may refuse to issue any registration or license, or may suspend or revoke the registration or license of any associate or licensed professional clinical counselor, if the applicant, licensee, or registrant has been guilty of unprofessional conduct. Unprofessional conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
(a) The conviction of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. The record of conviction shall be conclusive evidence only of the fact that the conviction occurred. The board may inquire into the circumstances surrounding the commission of the crime in order to fix the degree of discipline or to determine if the conviction is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant under this chapter. A conviction has the same meaning as defined in Section 7.5. The board may order any license or registration suspended or revoked, or may decline to issue a license or registration when the time for appeal has elapsed, or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or, when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence. All actions pursuant to this subdivision shall be taken pursuant to Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475).
(b) Securing a license or registration by fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation on any application for licensure or registration submitted to the board, whether engaged in by an applicant for a license or registration, or by a licensee in support of any application for licensure or registration.
(c) Administering to themself any controlled substance or using any of the dangerous drugs specified in Section 4022, or any alcoholic beverage to the extent, or in a manner, as to be dangerous or injurious to the person applying for a registration or license or holding a registration or license under this chapter, or to any other person, or to the public, or, to the extent that the use impairs the ability of the person applying for or holding a registration or license to conduct with safety to the public the practice authorized by the registration or license. The board shall deny an application for a registration or license or revoke the license or registration of any person, other than one who is licensed as a physician and surgeon, who uses or offers to use drugs in the course of performing licensed professional clinical counseling services.
(d) Gross negligence or incompetence in the performance of licensed professional clinical counseling services.
(e) Violating, attempting to violate, or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of this chapter or any regulation adopted by the board.
(f) Misrepresentation as to the type or status of a license or registration held by the person, or otherwise misrepresenting or permitting misrepresentation of the licensee’s or registrant’s education, professional qualifications, or professional affiliations to any person or entity.
(g) Impersonation of another by any licensee, registrant, or applicant for a license or registration, or, in the case of a licensee or registrant, allowing any other person to use the licensee’s or registrant’s license or registration.
(h) Aiding or abetting, or employing, directly or indirectly, any unlicensed or unregistered person to engage in conduct for which a license or registration is required under this chapter.
(i) Intentionally or recklessly causing physical or emotional harm to any client.
(j) The commission of any dishonest, corrupt, or fraudulent act substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensee or registrant.
(k) Engaging in sexual relations with a client, or a former client within two years following termination of therapy, soliciting sexual relations with a client, or committing an act of sexual abuse, or sexual misconduct with a client, or committing an act punishable as a sexually related crime, if that act or solicitation is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a licensed professional clinical counselor.
(l) Performing, or holding oneself out as being able to perform, or offering to perform, or permitting any trainee, applicant, or registrant under supervision to perform, any professional services beyond the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(m) Failure to maintain confidentiality, except as otherwise required or permitted by law, of all information that has been received from a client in confidence during the course of treatment and all information about the client which is obtained from tests or other means.
(n) Prior to the commencement of treatment, failing to disclose to the client or prospective client the fee to be charged for the professional services, or the basis upon which that fee will be computed.
(o) Paying, accepting, or soliciting any consideration, compensation, or remuneration, whether monetary or otherwise, for the referral of professional clients. All consideration, compensation, or remuneration shall be in relation to professional clinical counseling services actually provided by the licensee. This subdivision does not prevent collaboration among two or more licensees in a case or cases. However, no fee shall be charged for that collaboration, except when disclosure of the fee has been made in compliance with subdivision (n).
(p) Advertising in a manner that is false, fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive, as defined in Section 651.
(q) Reproduction or description in public, or in any publication subject to general public distribution, of any psychological test or other assessment device, the value of which depends in whole or in part on the naivete of the subject, in ways that might invalidate the test or device.
(r) Any conduct in the supervision of a registered associate, trainee, or applicant by any licensee that violates this chapter or any rules or regulations adopted by the board.
(s) Performing or holding oneself out as being able to perform mental health services beyond the scope of one’s competence, as established by one’s education, training, or experience. This subdivision shall not be construed to expand the scope of the license authorized by this chapter.
(t) Permitting a trainee, associate, or applicant under one’s supervision or control to perform, or permitting the trainee, associate, or applicant to hold themself out as competent to perform, mental health services beyond the trainee’s, associate’s, or applicant’s level of education, training, or experience.
(u) The violation of any statute or regulation governing the gaining and supervision of experience required by this chapter.
(v) Failure to keep records consistent with sound clinical judgment, the standards of the profession, and the nature of the services being rendered.
(w) Failure to comply with the child abuse reporting requirements of Section 11166 of the Penal Code.
(x) Failing to comply with the elder and dependent adult abuse reporting requirements of Section 15630 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(y) Repeated acts of negligence.
(z) (1) Engaging in an act described in Section 261, 286, 287, or 289 of, or former Section 288a of, the Penal Code with a minor or an act described in Section 288 or 288.5 of the Penal Code regardless of whether the act occurred prior to or after the time the registration or license was issued by the board. An act described in this subdivision occurring prior to the effective date of this subdivision shall constitute unprofessional conduct and shall subject the licensee to refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license under this section.
(2) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that protection of the public, and in particular minors, from sexual misconduct by a licensee is a compelling governmental interest, and that the ability to suspend or revoke a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section is equally important to protecting the public as is the ability to refuse a license for sexual conduct with a minor occurring prior to the effective date of this section.
(aa) Engaging in any conduct that subverts or attempts to subvert any licensing examination or the administration of an examination as described in Section 123.
(ab) Revocation, suspension, or restriction by the board of a license, certificate, or registration to practice as a professional clinical counselor, clinical social worker, educational psychologist, or marriage and family therapist.
(ac) Failing to comply with the procedures set forth in Section 2290.5 when delivering health care via telehealth.
(ad) Willful violation of Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 123100) of Part 1 of Division 106 of the Health and Safety Code.

SEC. 70.

 Section 4999.104 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.104.
 Licenses issued under this chapter that have expired may be renewed at any time within three years of expiration. To renew an expired license described in this section, the licensee shall do all of the following:
(a) File an application for renewal on a form prescribed by the board.
(b) Pay a two-year renewal fee prescribed by the board.
(c) Pay a delinquency fee.
(d) Certify compliance with the continuing education requirements set forth in Section 4999.76.
(e) Notify the board whether the licensee has been convicted, as defined in Section 490, of a misdemeanor or felony, or whether any disciplinary action has been taken by any regulatory or licensing board in this or any other state, subsequent to the licensee’s last renewal.

SEC. 71.

 Section 4999.120 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.120.
 (a) The board shall assess the following fees relating to the licensure of professional clinical counselors:
(1) The fee for the application for licensure shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(2) The fee for the application for associate registration shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(3) (A) (i) The fee for the board-administered clinical examination, if the board chooses to adopt this examination in regulations, shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of five hundred dollars ($500).
(ii) The fee for the California law and ethics examination shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(B) An applicant who fails to appear for an examination, after having been scheduled to take the examination, shall forfeit the examination fees.
(C) The amount of the examination fees shall be based on the actual cost to the board of developing, purchasing, and grading each examination and the actual cost to the board of administering each examination. The written examination fees shall be adjusted periodically by regulation to reflect the actual costs incurred by the board.
(4) The fee for the issuance of a license shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(5) The fee for the annual renewal of an associate registration shall be one hundred fifty dollars ($150). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of three hundred dollars ($300).
(6) The fee for the two-year license renewal shall be two hundred dollars ($200). The board may adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a maximum of four hundred dollars ($400).
(7) The renewal delinquency fee shall be one-half of the fee for license renewal. A person who permits their license to expire shall be subject to the delinquency fee.
(8) The fee for issuance of a retired license shall be forty dollars ($40).
(9) The fee for rescoring an examination shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(10) The fee for issuance of a replacement license or registration shall be twenty dollars ($20).
(11) The fee for issuance of a certificate or letter of good standing shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
(b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2021.

SEC. 72.

 Section 4999.122 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.

SEC. 73.

 Section 4999.123 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.123.
 A professional clinical counselor corporation is a corporation that is authorized to render professional services, as defined in Section 13401 of the Corporations Code, so long as that corporation and its shareholders, officers, directors, and employees who are rendering professional services are in compliance with the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code), this article, and any other statute or regulation pertaining to that corporation and the conduct of its affairs. With respect to a professional clinical counselor corporation, the term “governmental agency” in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code) shall be construed to mean the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

SEC. 74.

 Section 1010 of the Evidence Code is amended to read:

1010.
 As used in this article, “psychotherapist” means a person who is, or is reasonably believed by the patient to be:
(a) A person authorized to practice medicine in any state or nation who devotes, or is reasonably believed by the patient to devote, a substantial portion of their time to the practice of psychiatry.
(b) A person licensed as a psychologist under Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.
(c) A person licensed as a clinical social worker under Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, when they are engaged in applied psychotherapy of a nonmedical nature.
(d) A person who is serving as a school psychologist and holds a credential authorizing that service issued by the state.
(e) A person licensed as a marriage and family therapist under Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.
(f) A person registered as a registered psychological associate who is under the supervision of a licensed psychologist as required by Section 2913 of the Business and Professions Code, or a person registered as an associate marriage and family therapist who is under the supervision of a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed professional clinical counselor, a licensed psychologist, or a licensed physician and surgeon certified in psychiatry, as specified in Section 4980.44 of the Business and Professions Code.
(g) A person registered as an associate clinical social worker who is under supervision as specified in Section 4996.23 of the Business and Professions Code.
(h) A psychological intern as defined in Section 2911 of the Business and Professions Code who is under the primary supervision of a licensed psychologist.
(i) A trainee, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 4980.03 of the Business and Professions Code, who is fulfilling their supervised practicum required by subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 4980.36 of, or subdivision (c) of Section 4980.37 of, the Business and Professions Code and is supervised by a licensed psychologist, a board certified psychiatrist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed professional clinical counselor.
(j) A person licensed as a registered nurse pursuant to Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2700) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code, who possesses a master’s degree in psychiatric-mental health nursing and is listed as a psychiatric-mental health nurse by the Board of Registered Nursing.
(k) An advanced practice registered nurse who is certified as a clinical nurse specialist pursuant to Article 9 (commencing with Section 2838) of Chapter 6 of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code and who participates in expert clinical practice in the specialty of psychiatric-mental health nursing.
(l) A person rendering mental health treatment or counseling services as authorized pursuant to Section 6924 of the Family Code.
(m) A person licensed as a professional clinical counselor under Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code.
(n) A person registered as an associate professional clinical counselor who is under the supervision of a licensed professional clinical counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed psychologist, or a licensed physician and surgeon certified in psychiatry, as specified in Sections 4999.42 to 4999.48, inclusive, of the Business and Professions Code.
(o) A clinical counselor trainee, as defined in subdivision (g) of Section 4999.12 of the Business and Professions Code, who is fulfilling their supervised practicum required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32 of, or paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.33 of, the Business and Professions Code, and is supervised by a licensed psychologist, a board-certified psychiatrist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed marriage and family therapist, or a licensed professional clinical counselor.

SEC. 75.

 The Legislature finds and declares that the addition by this act of Sections 2949 and 4990.07 to the Business and Professions Code imposes a limitation on the public’s right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies within the meaning of Section 3 of Article I of the California Constitution. Pursuant to that constitutional provision, the Legislature makes the following findings to demonstrate the interest protected by this limitation and the need for protecting that interest:
(1) In order to protect the privacy of applicants and licensees of the Board of Psychology, it is necessary to allow these individuals the opportunity for a closed hearing as provided in Section 2949 of the Business and Professions Code.
(2) Restricting access to email addresses of registrants, applicants, and licensees submitted to the Board of Behavioral Sciences pursuant to Section 4990.07 of the Business and Professions Code is necessary to protect the privacy of these individuals.

SEC. 76.

 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.