Healing arts: behavioral sciences: licensure.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, educational psychologists, and professional clinical counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law fixes the license fees and creates the Behavioral Sciences Fund in the State Treasury into which these license fees are deposited. Existing law specifies requirements for renewal of these licenses, including completing continuing education, as specified. This bill would require the board to issue a retired license to a marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, educational psychologist, or professional clinical counselor who holds a license that is current and active or capable of being renewed, and whose license is not suspended, revoked, or otherwise punitively restricted by the board or subject to disciplinary action. The bill would prohibit the holder of a retired license from engaging in any activity for which an active license in his or her respective profession is required. The bill would provide that a holder of a retired license may apply to have his or her license restored to active status if the holder has not committed an act or crime constituting grounds for denial of licensure and the holder pays the required fee, completes specified continuing education requirements, and complies with fingerprint submission requirements, as specified. If the applicant's retired license was issued 5 or more years prior to the application to restore to active status, the bill would also require the applicant to apply for licensure and pass the examinations required for licensure. The bill would fix the retired license fee at $40. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 4996.3 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by AB 2167, to be operative if AB 2167 and this bill become effective on or before January 1, 2011, and this bill is enacted last.