BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2191|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2191
Author: Salas (D), et al.
Amended: 8/16/16 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE BUS., PROF. & ECON. DEV. COMMITTEE: 9-0, 6/27/16
AYES: Hill, Bates, Block, Gaines, Galgiani, Hernandez,
Jackson, Mendoza, Wieckowski
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE: 7-0, 8/11/16
AYES: Lara, Bates, Beall, Hill, McGuire, Mendoza, Nielsen
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-1, 5/31/16 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT: Board of Behavioral Sciences
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This bill extends the operation of the Board of
Behavioral Sciences (BBS) and the BBS authority to appoint an
executive officer (EO) from January 1, 2017, to January 1, 2021.
ANALYSIS: Existing law provides for the licensure and
regulation of educational psychologists (LEPs), clinical social
workers (LCSWs), marriage and family therapists (MFTs) and
professional clinical counselors (LPCCs) by BBS within the
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) until January 1, 2017, and
authorizes BBS to appoint an EO until January 1, 2017.
This bill extends the operation of BBS and the BBS' authority to
appoint an EO until January 1, 2021, and clarifies that the BBS
Fund is subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
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Background
This bill is one of five "sunset bills" the author is sponsoring
this Session. According to the author, "because the boards are
set to sunset in 2017, the date needs to be extended to ensure
the continued regulation of the professions."
Board of Behavioral Sciences. BBS licenses and regulates LCSWs,
MFTs, LEPs, and LPCCs. Additionally, BBS registers Associate
Clinical Social Workers (ACSWs), Marriage and Family Therapist
Interns (MFT Interns), Professional Clinical Counselor Interns,
and until June 30, 2015, registered continuing education (CE)
providers. BBS licenses and regulates more than 100,000
licensees. In addition, BBS regulates approximately 16,262 MFT
Interns and 12,215 ACSWs. Each profession has its own scope of
practice, entry-level requirements, and professional settings,
with some overlap in certain areas.
The EO is appointed by the BBS. As a Special Fund agency, BBS
receives no General Fund support and relies solely on fees set
by statute for licensing and renewals. The BBS Licensing
Program provides public protection by ensuring licenses or
registrations are issued only to those applicants who meet the
minimum requirements of current statutes and regulations and who
have not committed acts that would be grounds for denial. All
BBS-regulated licensees are required to obtain 36 hours of CE as
a condition of biennial licensure renewal.
2015-16 Sunset Review. Beginning in 2015, the Senate Business
and Professions Committee and the Assembly Business and
Professions Committee (Committees) conducted joint oversight
hearings to review 12 regulatory entities. The Committees
conducted two hearings in March and joined with the Senate
Committee on Education and Assembly Committee on Higher
Education to review the Bureau for Private Postsecondary
Education. This bill and the accompanying sunset bills are
intended to implement legislative changes as recommended by
staff of the Committees and which are reflected in the
Background Papers prepared by Committee staff for each agency
and program reviewed this year.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
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Com.:YesLocal: No
According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, this bill will
result in ongoing costs of $11 million per year for the
continued operation of the BBS, which are paid for with license
fees.
SUPPORT: (Verified8/16/16)
Board of Behavioral Sciences
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/16/16)
None received
ASSEMBLY FLOOR: 79-1, 5/31/16
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Travis Allen, Arambula, Atkins, Baker,
Bigelow, Bloom, Bonilla, Bonta, Brough, Brown, Burke,
Calderon, Campos, Chang, Chau, Chávez, Chiu, Chu, Cooley,
Cooper, Dababneh, Dahle, Daly, Dodd, Eggman, Frazier, Beth
Gaines, Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, Eduardo Garcia, Gatto,
Gipson, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon, Gray, Grove, Hadley, Roger
Hernández, Holden, Irwin, Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Kim, Lackey,
Levine, Linder, Lopez, Low, Maienschein, Mathis, Mayes,
McCarty, Medina, Melendez, Mullin, Nazarian, Obernolte,
O'Donnell, Olsen, Patterson, Quirk, Ridley-Thomas, Rodriguez,
Salas, Santiago, Steinorth, Mark Stone, Thurmond, Ting,
Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wilk, Williams, Wood, Rendon
NOES: Harper
Prepared by:Sarah Mason / B., P. & E.D. / (916) 651-4104
8/16/16 17:38:47
**** END ****
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