BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



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          Date of Hearing:  May 11, 2016


                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS


                               Lorena Gonzalez, Chair


          AB  
          1835 (Holden) - As Amended April 25, 2016


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          Urgency:  No  State Mandated Local Program:  NoReimbursable:  No


          SUMMARY:


          This bill, until January 1, 2021, exempts any institution  
          approved by the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE)  
          and that grants doctoral degrees in psychoanalysis from the  
          requirement to be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized  
          by the United States Department of Education (USDE), if the  
          institution meets all of the following:










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          1)All students hold master's or doctoral degrees before  
            enrolling in the institution.
          2)All students, except as specified, hold a professional license  
            to practice psychotherapy that remains valid throughout  
            enrollment at the institution and carry current malpractice  
            insurance in their respective fields.


          3)Does not accept federal student aid.


          4)Is a nonprofit entity.


          5)Has obtained accreditation by the Accreditation Council for  
            Psychoanalytic Education (ACPE), or has submitted a self-study  
            application to the ACPE, on or before July 1, 2018.


          FISCAL EFFECT:


          Negligible fiscal impact.


          COMMENTS:


          1)Background. The BPPE is responsible for oversight of private  
            postsecondary educational institutions operating with a  
            physical presence in California, pursuant to AB 48  
            (Portantino), Chapter 310, Statutes of 2009-the California  
            Private Postsecondary Act of 2009. The Act requires all  
            unaccredited colleges in California to be approved by BPPE,  
            and all nationally accredited colleges to comply with numerous  
            student protections.


            At the time of the 2013 Sunset Review Hearings, the BPPE  








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            highlighted that California is one of few states to continue  
            to allow unaccredited degree granting programs. The BPPE  
            stated in 2014 that "requiring accreditation for approval to  
            operate would allow the BPPE to focus on its mandate of  
            consumer protection, while relying on academic experts  
            approved by USDE to evaluate academic programs." In response  
            to these concerns, SB 1247 (Lieu), Chapter 840, Statutes of  
            2014, amended the Act to require that all degree granting  
            programs be accredited, unless they meet at least one of the  
            specified exemptions.


          2)Purpose. This bill, sponsored by the Institute of Contemporary  
            Psychoanalysis, exempts institutions who are approved by the  
            BPPE and who grant doctoral degrees in psychoanalysis from  
            accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the USDE.  
             According to the author,  "[This bill] provides graduate  
            programs in psychoanalysis an exemption to the [Act] as there  
            is currently no national accrediting body for the  
            psychoanalyst field."


            According to a letter to the BPPE from former Senator, and now  
            Congressman, Ted Lieu, who authored SB 1247, "the purpose and  
            design [of SB 1247] was never intended to apply to an  
            institution such as the Institute of Contemporary  
            Psychoanalysis (ICP)."  The letter goes on to say "ICP's  
            standards for training far exceed the usual organizations  
            accredited by the BPPE. ? In contrast [to conventional  
            educational settings], ICP's admission requirements differ  
            markedly - it requires proof of a terminal degree in the  
            particular setting (e.g. Ph.D., Psy.D, MFT, LCSW, MD),  
            including official school transcripts, and licensure prior to  
            admission, something that distinguishes programs at ICP from  
            many other degree granting institutions."


          Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081








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