BILL NUMBER: AB 2257	CHAPTERED  07/20/06

	CHAPTER  89
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  JULY 20, 2006
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  JULY 20, 2006
	PASSED THE SENATE  JUNE 26, 2006
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  APRIL 27, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 27, 2006

INTRODUCED BY   Committee on Business and Professions (Negrete McLeod
(Chair), Shirley Horton (Vice Chair), Bass, Frommer, Koretz, Maze,
Nation, Tran, Vargas, and Yee)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2006

   An act to add Section 2919 to the Business and Professions Code,
relating to psychologists.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2257, Committee on Business and Professions  Psychologists:
records retention.
   Existing law, the Psychology Licensing Law, provides for the
licensure and regulation of the practice of psychology.  A violation
of that law is a crime.
   This bill would require a licensed psychologist to retain a
patient's health service records for a minimum of 7 years from the
patient's discharge date, and would also require a minor patient's
health service records to be retained for a minimum of 7 years from
the date the patient reaches 18 years of age. Because a violation of
the bill would be a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local
program.
  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.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 2919 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   2919.  A licensed psychologist shall retain a patient's health
service records for a minimum of seven years from the patient's
discharge date. If the patient is a minor, the patient's health
service records shall be retained for a minimum of seven years from
the date the patient reaches 18 years of age.
  SEC. 2.  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.