BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 704
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 704 (Negrete McLeod)
As Amended August 25, 2011
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :37-0
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 9-0APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Hayashi, Bill Berryhill, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Allen, Butler, Eng, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Hagman, Hill, Ma, Smyth | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Donnelly, Gatto, Hall, |
| | | |Hill, Lara, Mitchell, |
| | | |Nielsen, Norby, Solorio, |
| | | |Wagner |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Revises and recasts examination requirements for
persons seeking licensure as a marriage and family therapist
(MFT), clinical social worker (LCSW), or professional clinical
counselor (LPCC), effective January 1, 2013. Specifically, this
bill :
1)Requires an applicant for licensure as an MFT or LCSW to pass
a California law and ethics examination and a clinical
examination, as prescribed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences
(BBS), effective January 1, 2013.
2)Allows an MFT and LCSW registrants to take the clinical
examination upon meeting certain requirements.
3)Requires MFT and LCSW applicants who have previously taken and
passed the standard written examination to also obtain a
passing score on the clinical examination in order to be
eligible for licensure.
4)Requires MFT and LCSW applicants who have previously failed to
obtain a passing score on the standard written examination to
obtain a passing score on the California law and ethics
examination and the clinical examination.
SB 704
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5)Requires MFT and LCSW applicants who have previously failed to
obtain a passing score on the clinical vignette examination to
obtain a passing score on the clinical examination.
6)Requires MFT and LCSW applicants who have obtained eligibility
for the standard written examination to take the California
law and ethics examination and the clinical examination.
7)Requires MFT and LCSW applicants and registrants to obtain a
passing score on a BBS-administered California law and ethics
examination in order to qualify for licensure.
8)Requires MFT and LCSW registrants to participate in a
BBS-administered California law and ethics examination prior
to his or her registration renewal.
9)Requires a clinical counselor intern applying for licensure as
a LPCC to pass a California law and ethics examination and a
clinical examination, effective January 1, 2013, as specified.
10)Authorizes a LPCC registrant to take the clinical examination
or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination,
as established by BBS through regulation, only upon meeting
certain requirements, as specified.
11)Requires each LPCC applicant and registrant to obtain a
passing score on a BBS-administered California law and ethics
examination in order to qualify for licensure, and prior to
his or her registration renewal, as specified.
12)Double joints this bill to SB 146 (Wyland), as specified.
13)Makes technical, conforming changes.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Provides for the licensure and regulation of MFTs, MFT interns
and trainees, LCSWs, LPCCs and LPCC interns by BBS.
2)Requires the issuance of a license to practice marriage and
family therapy to qualified applicants, as defined, who pass a
BBS-administered written or oral examination or, under
specified circumstances, a clinical vignette written
examination.
SB 704
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3)Requires each LCSW applicant to be examined by BBS and, on and
after January 1, 2014, upon a specified determination by BBS,
requires the issuance of a license to each applicant or
registrant meeting specified requirements who successfully
passes the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Clinical
Level Examination administered by ASWB and a separate
California jurisprudence and ethics examination incorporated
or developed and administered by BBS.
4)Authorizes BBS to issue a LPCC license to any person meeting
specified educational requirements, satisfying the supervised
experience requirement, and providing evidence of a passing
score on a national licensing examination, as determined by
BBS.
FISCAL EFFECT : According the Assembly Appropriations Committee:
1)Minor and absorbable costs to the BBS to revise examination
requirements for licensees.
2)If a national exam for the clinical component of the
examination requirements was eventually approved by BBS, and
was administered in place of BBS-developed exams, the BBS
could realize cost savings of approximately $500,000 (special
fund) associated with reduced exam-related workload.
COMMENTS : According to the author, "This bill is being
introduced by BBS as a result of extensive analysis of the BBS's
examination process.
"BBS's Examination Program Review Committee (EPRC) was appointed
in February 2008. The purpose of the EPRC was to conduct a
review of the BBS's LCSW, Licensed Educational Psychologist
(LEP), and MFT examination programs and to evaluate associated
issues.
"The EPRC conducted an open-ended inquiry to gather information.
Stakeholders and interested parties were given opportunities to
provide input, feedback, and express their concerns regarding
the examination programs.
"On December 7, 2009, the EPRC made several recommendations
relating to modifications of the current licensure exam process
for MFTs and LCSWs. The language in SB 704 was written based on
the recommendations of the EPRC.
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"Given that the EPRC reviewed the examination requirements for
MFTs and LCSWs prior to the establishment of licensure for
LPCCs, this bill was recently amended to restructure the
examination process for applicants seeking a LPCC license."
Beginning in February 2008, the BBS established the EPRC to
review the BBS's LCSW, licensed educational psychologists (LEP),
and MFT examination programs and evaluate associated issues.
The EPRC conducted an open-ended inquiry to gather information,
allowing stakeholders and interested parties opportunities to
provide input, feedback, and express any concerns regarding the
examination programs.
In December 2009, the EPRC made several recommendations relating
to modification of the current license examination process for
MFTs and LCSWs. The first recommendation is to revise the
current process for applicants, which includes the standard
examination after meeting the examination eligibility
requirements. After passing the standard examination, the
applicant must pass the clinical vignette examination. The EPRC
further recommended requiring MFT interns and LCSWs to complete
and pass a California law and ethics examination. The framework
of this examination would consist of law and ethics questions
that a recent program graduate would be reasonably expected to
know.
Analysis Prepared by : Rebecca May / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0002094