BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2552
Author: Leno (D)
Amended: 4/26/04 in Assembly
Vote: 21
SENATE BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/14/04
AYES: Figueroa, Aanestad, Brulte, Cedillo, Machado,
Vincent
NO VOTE RECORDED: Murray
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 72-0, 4/29/04 (Passed on Consent) - See
last page for vote
SUBJECT : Marriage and family therapy
SOURCE : California Association of Marriage and Family
Therapists
DIGEST : This bill makes various clarifying changes to
the licensing law for marriage and family counselors.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1. Provides for the licensing and regulation of licensed
clinical social workers and marriage and family
therapists (MFTs) by the Board of Behavioral Sciences
within the State Department of Consumer Affairs.
CONTINUED
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2. Requires that the practice of marriage and family
therapy include the application of certain therapy
principles and methods.
3. Requires an intern who is employed or volunteering in a
private practice to be under the direct supervision of a
licensee who is employed and practice at the same site
as the intern's employer.
4. Requires an unlicensed MFT intern who performs
professional services to inform each client or patient
that he or she is unlicensed and under the supervision
of specified licensees, including a licensed physician
and surgeon who has completed a residency in psychiatry
and meets additional requirements.
5. Requires the name of a marriage and family therapy
corporation to contain one or more of certain words,
including "counseling," "counselor," or "therapist."
This bill:
1. Includes within MFT principles and methods the use,
application, and integration of specified coursework and
training.
2. Permits the supervision of an MFT intern by an owner or
shareholder of the private practice.
3. Permits alternative supervision of an MFT intern to be
arranged during a supervisor's vacation or sick leave if
the supervision meets the requirement in existing law.
4. Authorizes the use of the word "therapy" in the name of
a MFT corporation, in addition to the words
"counseling," "counselor," or "therapist", which are
required to be used in the name of an MFT corporation.
5. Makes other technical and clarifying changes.
Comments
According to the sponsor, the California Association of
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Marriage and Family Therapists, this bill makes clarifying
changes within the scope of practice for MFTs by
referencing the existing duties and training
responsibilities of MFTs. It clarifies that MFTs use,
apply, and integrate their coursework and training in the
scope of the services that they provide. This bill also
provides specificity as to how a MFT registered intern
working in a private practice can get supervision and count
hours when the private practice supervisor is unavailable
due to vacation or illness. Existing law makes no
provision for this situation, leaving it subject to
interpretation. Other proposed changes are technical. One
change removes an out-of-date reference to a type of
supervisor for interns and trainees no longer permitted by
law. Another technical change removes superfluous
language, making the section more understandable, with
regard to prohibiting employment in private practice during
intern registration periods subsequent to the initial
six-year registration.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/28/04)
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
(source)
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Bates, Benoit, Berg, Bermudez, Bogh,
Calderon, Campbell, Canciamilla, Chan, Chavez, Chu,
Cogdill, Cohn, Corbett, Correa, Cox, Daucher, Diaz,
Dutra, Dutton, Dymally, Firebaugh, Frommer, Garcia,
Goldberg, Hancock, Harman, Jerome Horton, Shirley Horton,
Houston, Jackson, Keene, Kehoe, Koretz, La Malfa, La
Suer, Laird, Leno, Levine, Lieber, Liu, Longville,
Lowenthal, Maddox, Matthews, Maze, McCarthy, Montanez,
Mountjoy, Mullin, Nakanishi, Nakano, Nation, Negrete
McLeod, Oropeza, Parra, Reyes, Richman, Ridley-Thomas,
Runner, Salinas, Samuelian, Simitian, Spitzer, Steinberg,
Strickland, Wesson, Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Haynes, Leslie, Maldonado, Pacheco,
Pavley, Plescia, Vargas, Wiggins
AB 2552
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CP:mel 6/28/04 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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