BILL NUMBER: SB 274	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator Wyland

                        FEBRUARY 14, 2011

   An act to amend Section 4999.54 of the Business and Professions
Code, relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 274, as introduced, Wyland. Professional clinical counselors.
   Existing law, the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act,
provides for the licensure and regulation of professional clinical
counselors by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. Existing law
authorizes the board to issue a license to any person submitting an
application between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2011, if that
applicant meets specified requirements.
   This bill would make a nonsubstantive, technical change to that
provision.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 4999.54 of the Business and Professions Code is
amended to read:
   4999.54.  (a) Notwithstanding Section 4999.50, the board may issue
a license to any person who submits an application for a license
between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2011, provided that all
documentation is submitted within 12 months of the board's evaluation
of the application, and provided he or she meets one of the
following sets of criteria:
   (1) He or she meets all of the following requirements:
   (A) Has a master's or doctoral degree from a school, college, or
university as specified in Section 4999.32, that is counseling or
psychotherapy in content. If the person's degree does not include all
the graduate coursework in all nine core content areas as required
by paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32, a person
shall provide documentation that he or she has completed the required
coursework prior to licensure pursuant to this chapter. Except as
specified in clause (ii), a qualifying degree must include the
supervised practicum or field study experience as required in
paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 4999.32.
   (i) A counselor educator whose degree contains at least seven of
the nine required core content areas shall be given credit for
coursework not contained in the degree if the counselor educator
provides documentation that he or she has taught the equivalent of
the required core content areas in a graduate program in counseling
or a related area.
   (ii) Degrees issued prior to 1996 shall include a minimum of 30
semester units or 45 quarter units and at least six of the nine
required core content areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision
(c) of Section 4999.32 and three semester units or four and one-half
quarter units of supervised practicum or field study experience. The
total number of units shall be no less than 48 semester units or 72
quarter units.
   (iii) Degrees issued in 1996 and after shall include a minimum of
48 semester units or 72 quarter units and at least seven of the nine
core content areas specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of
Section 4999.32.
   (B) Has completed all of the coursework or training specified in
subdivision (e) of Section 4999.32.
   (C) Has at least two years, full-time or the equivalent, of
postdegree counseling experience, that includes at least 1,700 hours
of experience in a clinical setting supervised by a licensed marriage
and family therapist, a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed
psychologist, a licensed physician and surgeon specializing in
psychiatry, or a master's level counselor or therapist who is
certified by a national certifying or registering organization,
including, but not limited to, the National Board for Certified
Counselors or the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor
Certification.
   (D) Has a passing score on  all of  the following
examinations:
   (i) The National Counselor Examination for Licensure and
Certification or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination.
   (ii) The National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination.
   (iii) A California jurisprudence and ethics examination, when
developed by the board.
   (2) Is currently licensed as a marriage and family therapist in
the State of California, meets the coursework requirements described
in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), and passes the examination
described in subdivision (b).
   (3) Is currently licensed as a clinical social worker in the State
of California, meets the coursework requirements described in
subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1), and passes the examination
described in subdivision (b).
   (b) (1) The board and the Office of Professional Examination
Services shall jointly develop an examination on the differences, if
any differences exist, between the following:
   (A) The practice of professional clinical counseling and the
practice of marriage and family therapy.
   (B) The practice of professional clinical counseling and the
practice of clinical social work.
   (2) If the board, in consultation with the Office of Professional
Examination Services, determines that an examination is necessary
pursuant to this subdivision, an applicant described in paragraphs
(2) and (3) of subdivision (a) shall pass the examination as a
condition of licensure.
   (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to expand or
constrict the scope of practice of professional clinical counseling,
as defined in Section 4999.20.