BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 578
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 2, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                    SB 578 (Wyland) - As Amended:  June 23, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Business and  
          Professions  Vote:                            14-0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          Yes    Reimbursable:              No

           SUMMARY  

          This bill requires a licensed marriage and family therapist  
          (LMFT), a licensed educational psychologist (LEP), a licensed  
          clinical social worker (LCSW), and a licensed professional  
          clinical counselor (LPCC) to retain a patient or client's health  
          service record for seven years or in the case of a minor, seven  
          years after the minor reaches 18 years of age.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          State departments that employ the specified types of mental  
          health professionals, including Department of Corrections and  
          Rehabilitation, Department of State Hospitals, and Department of  
          Developmental Services, would ensure records are retained in  
          compliance with this bill.  Costs to do this are expected to be  
          minor to negligible, particularly as many patient records are  
          now stored electronically. 

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . The requirement to retain records aims to curb  
            inconsistent recordkeeping amongst private practice behavioral  
            healthcare specialists.  The author believes it will help  
            standardize record requirements across the health care  
            spectrum.  This bill is sponsored by the California  
            Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.  

           2)Background  .  There is no uniform standard for patient record  
            retention in California.  AB 2257 (Committee on Business and  
            Professions) Chapter 89, Statutes of 2006, required  
            psychologists to maintain a patient's records for seven years  








                                                                  SB 578
                                                                  Page  2

            from the patient's discharge date, or in the case of a minor,  
            seven years after the minor reaches 18 years of age.   The  
            provisions of this bill for other mental health professionals  
            are modeled after current requirements for psychologists.  


          Analysis Prepared by  :    Lisa Murawski / APPR. / (916) 319-2081