Board of Behavioral Sciences: licensing.

(1) Existing law, the Marriage and Family Therapist Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law also authorizes the board to issue a license to a person who holds a license from another jurisdiction under certain conditions, including a requirement for the person to pass the examinations otherwise required of an applicant. This bill would require the licensee from another jurisdiction to be in good standing. The bill would require the person from another jurisdiction to pass the California law and ethics examination, but would exempt the person from the clinical examination if the person has previously obtained a passing score on an examination accepted by the board, as provided by a regulation adopted by the board. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, provide that a passing score on the clinical examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of 7 years after the examination date. (2) Existing law, the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of social workers by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law requires the board to issue a clinical social worker license to each applicant from another state who satisfies specified educational and other requirements and successfully passes examinations administered by the board. This bill would commencing January 1, 2014, exempt an applicant licensed by another jurisdiction from the clinical examination if the person has previously obtained a passing score on an examination accepted by the board, pursuant to a regulation adopted by the board. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, provide that a passing score on the clinical examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of 7 years after the examination date. The bill would add the requirement that, commencing January 1, 2014, in order for the board to issue a clinical social worker license to an applicant licensed by another state or with experience gained in another state, the applicant shall also complete an 18-hour course in California law and professional ethics, as specified. The bill would repeal related provisions made obsolete by the repeal of Section 4996.1 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 4 of AB 2167 of the 2009–10 Regular Session. Existing law requires a person who wishes to be credited with experience toward license requirements to register with the board as an associate clinical social worker. Existing law requires an applicant for registration to satisfy certain requirements. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, add the requirement for completion of training or coursework, which may be embedded in more than one course, in California law and professional ethics, as specified. (3) Existing law, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of professional clinical counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law, until January 1, 2013, requires every applicant for a license as a professional clinical counselor to be examined by the board and requires the board to evaluate various national licensing examinations and other examinations, as necessary, for use as requirements for licensure. Existing law authorizes the board to issue a license to a person who holds a license from another jurisdiction under certain conditions, including a requirement for the person to pass the examinations otherwise required of an applicant. This bill would extend those examination evaluation provisions to January 1, 2014, and would additionally specify that, whichever examination the board decides to require for licensure, a passing score on such examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of 7 years from the date the examination was taken. The bill would exempt a person with a license from another jurisdiction from a specified examination if the person has previously obtained a passing score on an examination that is currently required by the board. The bill would, commencing January 1, 2014, provide that a passing score on the clinical examination, as described below, shall be accepted by the board for a period of 7 years after the examination date. (4) Commencing January 1, 2013, existing law for the practice areas of marriage and family therapy, social work, and professional clinical counselors, requires applicants for a license to pass a clinical examination and a California law and ethics examination, subject to specified fees. This bill would instead make those examination requirements operative on January 1, 2014. This bill would incorporate additional changes to certain provisions proposed by SB 1575 if that bill is also enacted and this bill is chaptered last.