Bill Text: CA AB2198 | 2013-2014 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Mental health professionals: suicide prevention training.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Vetoed) 2014-09-18 - Vetoed by Governor. [AB2198 Detail]

Download: California-2013-AB2198-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: AB 2198	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 4, 2014
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 21, 2014

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Levine
   (Principal  coauthor:   Senator 
 Hill   coauthors:   Senators 
 Hill   and Steinberg  )

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2014

   An act to add Sections 2915.3, 2915.4, 4980.393, 4980.394,
4989.21, 4989.35, 4996.27, 4996.275, 4999.37, and 4999.77 to the
Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2198, as amended, Levine. Mental health professionals: suicide
prevention training.
   Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various
professionals who provide mental health-related services, including
psychologists, marriage and family therapists, educational
psychologists, professional clinical counselors, and clinical social
workers. Under existing law, an applicant for licensure in these
professions is required to complete certain coursework or training in
order to be eligible for a license. Existing law also requires these
professionals to participate in continuing education as a
prerequisite for renewing their license.
   This bill would require a psychologist, marriage and family
therapist, educational psychologist, professional clinical counselor,
and clinical social worker who began graduate study on or after
January 1, 2016, to complete a minimum of 15 contact hours of
coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management before he
or she may be issued a license. The bill would also require,
commencing January 1, 2016, a person licensed in these professions
 or any applicant for licensure  who began graduate study
prior to January 1, 2016, to take a six-hour continuing education
course in suicide assessment, treatment, and management in order to
renew his or her license.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


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

  SECTION 1.  Section 2915.3 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   2915.3.  (a) Any applicant for licensure as a psychologist who
began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, shall complete, as
a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework
in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.
   (b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
applicant has met the requirements of this section.
  SEC. 2.  Section 2915.4 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   2915.4.  (a) A licensee  or any applicant for licensure 
who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management during his or her first renewal
period after the operative date of this section, and shall submit to
the board evidence acceptable to the board of the person's
satisfactory completion of that course.
   (b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
applicant has met the requirements of this section.
   (c) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
required by Section 2915.
   (d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
  SEC. 3.  Section 4980.393 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, immediately following Section 4980.39, to read:
   4980.393.  (a) An applicant for licensure who began graduate study
on or after January 1, 2016, and whose education qualifies him or
her under Section 4980.36 or  4980.37   4980.37,
 shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15
contact hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and
management.
  SEC. 4.  Section 4980.394 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   4980.394.  (a) A licensee  or any applicant for licensure
 who began graduate study before January 1, 2016, shall complete
a six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
renewal period after the operative date of this section and shall
submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the person'
s satisfactory completion of the course.
   (b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
required by Section 4980.54.
   (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
  SEC. 5.  Section 4989.21 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   4989.21.  (a) Any applicant for licensure as an educational
psychologist who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016,
shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact
hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.

   (b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
applicant has met the requirements of this section.
  SEC. 6.  Section 4989.35 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   4989.35.  (a) A licensee  or any applicant for licensure 
who began graduate study before January 1, 2016, shall complete a
six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
renewal period after the operative date of this section and shall
submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the person'
s satisfactory completion of the course.
   (b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
required by Section 4989.34.
   (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
  SEC. 7.  Section 4996.27 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, immediately following Section 4996.26, to read:
   4996.27.  (a) Any applicant for licensure as a licensed clinical
social worker who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016,
shall complete, as a condition of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact
hours of coursework in suicide assessment, treatment, and management.

   (b) The board shall not issue a license to the applicant until the
applicant has met the requirements of this section.
  SEC. 8.  Section 4996.275 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, immediately following Section 4996.27, to read:
   4996.275.  (a) A licensee  or any applicant for licensure
who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
renewal period after the operative date of this section, and shall
submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the person'
s satisfactory completion of the course.
   (b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
required in Section 4996.22.
   (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.
  SEC. 9.  Section 4999.37 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   4999.37.  An applicant for examination eligibility or registration
who began graduate study on or after January 1, 2016, and whose
education qualifies him or her under Section 4999.32 or 
4999.33   4999.33,  shall complete, as a condition
of licensure, a minimum of 15 contact hours of coursework in suicide
assessment, treatment, and management.
  SEC. 10.  Section 4999.77 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:
   4999.77.  (a) A licensee  or any applicant for licensure 
who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2016, shall complete a
six-hour continuing education course in best practices for suicide
assessment, treatment, and management, during his or her first
renewal period after the operative date of this section, and shall
submit to the board evidence, acceptable to the board, of the person'
s satisfactory completion of the course.
   (b) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this section
shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing education
required in Section 4999.76.
   (c) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2016.