BILL ANALYSIS Ó SB 1527 Page 1 Date of Hearing: August 8, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair SB 1527 (Negrete McLeod) - As Amended: June 6, 2012 Policy Committee: Business and Professions Vote: 9-0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: No SUMMARY This bill revises a number of licensure and registration requirements for licensees of the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), including: 1)Specifying the BBS shall accept a passing score for specified clinical examinations or, at the board's option, a national examination, for a period of 7 years from the date the examination was taken. 2)Modifying requirements for out-of-state applicants for licensure or registration, including requirements related to coursework in California Law and Professional Ethics, California Law and Professional Ethics examinations, and exemptions from clinical examinations. FISCAL EFFECT Negligible state fiscal effect. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . This bill clarifies and strengthens requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist (MFT), licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC), or a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), or registration as an associate clinical social worker (ACSW). It also increases conformity in the way BBS treats licensed professions with respect to the bill's provisions. 2)Background . SB 704 (Negrete Mcleod), Chapter 387, Statutes of SB 1527 Page 2 2011, revised examination requirements for persons seeking licensure as a LMFT, LCSW, or LPCC, effective January 1, 2013. The intent of SB 704 was to set standards that allow for eventual conformity of the clinical portion of BBS licensure exams to national standards, in order to facilitate reciprocity and portability of licenses across states, while preserving state-specific consumer protections through administration of a California-specific law and ethics exam. This bill furthers that aim by clarifying the time period for which specified examination scores will be accepted, and by ensuring clarity and consistency in BBS requirements for out-of-state licensure applicants. Analysis Prepared by : Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081