BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1835
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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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|Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|13 - 0 |
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| |Business and Professions | |16 - 0 |
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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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