BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1835 Page 1 Date of Hearing: May 11, 2016 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Lorena Gonzalez, Chair AB 1835 (Holden) - As Amended April 25, 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------- |Policy |Higher Education |Vote:|13 - 0 | |Committee: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |-------------+-------------------------------+-----+-------------| | |Business and Professions | |16 - 0 | | | | | | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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: AB 1835 Page 2 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 AB 1835 Page 3 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 AB 1835 Page 4