BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 428
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 1, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 428 (Eggman) - As Amended: March 21, 2013
Policy Committee: Business,
Professions and Consumer Protection Vote: 12-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable: No
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes certain coursework requirements for
licensure as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFTs)
and licensed clinical social worker (LCSWs) to be completed
through continuing education (CE) instead of formal classroom
training, as specified.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor and absorbable costs to the Board of Behavioral Sciences
(BBS).
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . According to the author, this bill is sponsored by
BBS to allow applicants for a LMFT license to remediate
courses they may have missed during their graduate degree
program. This bill is needed because potential applicants find
out during the application process that they do not qualify
for a license due to missing coursework, even though the
applicants graduated from a qualifying program. Existing law
permits an out-of-state applicant to remediate but not an
in-state applicant
2)Reasons for missing coursework . According to BBS, there are
multiple reasons why an individual may have difficulty
obtaining the required coursework. For example, an individual
may not have completed classes during a medical leave or a
school did not offer the course at a convenient time and the
student was eligible to graduate without the course, assuming
that the course could be taken later. Also, BBS evaluators
AB 428
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note instances of individuals who have earned a Ph.D. in
Clinical Psychology and have taken all other classes required
to qualify for an LMFT license, but the doctoral program did
not offer a spousal or partner abuse assessment course, which
is required for licensure.
Analysis Prepared by : Debra Roth / APPR. / (916) 319-2081