4990-4990.26
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE
SECTION 4990-4990.26
4990. (a) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs, a Board of Behavioral Sciences that consists of the following members: (1) Two state licensed clinical social workers. (2) One state licensed educational psychologist. (3) Two state licensed marriage and family therapists. (4) Commencing January 1, 2012, one state licensed professional clinical counselor. (5) Seven public members. (b) Each member, except the seven public members, shall have at least two years of experience in his or her profession. (c) Each member shall reside in the State of California. (d) The Governor shall appoint five of the public members and the six licensed members with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the Assembly shall each appoint a public member. (e) Each member of the board shall be appointed for a term of four years. A member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly or the Senate Committee on Rules shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of his or her successor or until one year from the expiration date of the term for which he or she was appointed, whichever first occurs. Pursuant to Section 1774 of the Government Code, a member appointed by the Governor shall hold office until the appointment and qualification of his or her successor or until 60 days from the expiration date of the term for which he or she was appointed, whichever first occurs. (f) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by appointment for the unexpired term by the authority who appointed the member whose membership was vacated. (g) Not later than the first of June of each calendar year, the board shall elect a chairperson and a vice chairperson from its membership. (h) Each member of the board shall receive a per diem and reimbursement of expenses as provided in Section 103. (i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or extends that date. 4990.02. "Board," as used in this chapter, Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980), Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 4989.10), Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991), and Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) means the Board of Behavioral Sciences. 4990.04. (a) The board shall appoint an executive officer. This position is designated as a confidential position and is exempt from civil service under subdivision (e) of Section 4 of Article VII of the California Constitution. (b) The executive officer serves at the pleasure of the board. (c) The executive officer shall exercise the powers and perform the duties delegated by the board and vested in him or her by this chapter. (d) With the approval of the director, the board shall fix the salary of the executive officer. (e) The chairperson and executive officer may call meetings of the board and any duly appointed committee at a specified time and place. For purposes of this section, "call meetings" means setting the agenda, time, date, or place for any meeting of the board or any committee. (f) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2013, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2013, deletes or extends that date. 4990.06. Subject to the State Civil Service Act (Part 2 (commencing with Section 18500) of Division 5 of Title 2 of the Government Code) and except as provided by Sections 155, 156, and 159.5, the board may employ any clerical, technical, and other personnel as it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and the other chapters it administers and enforces, within budget limitations. 4990.08. The board shall keep an accurate record of all of its proceedings and a record of all applicants for licensure and all individuals to whom it has issued a license. 4990.09. The board shall not publish on the Internet the final determination of a citation and fine of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) or less issued against a licensee or registrant pursuant to Section 125.9 for a period of time in excess of five years from the date of issuance of the citation. 4990.10. The board may conduct research in, and make studies of problems involved in, the maintaining of professional standards among those engaged in the professions it licenses and may publish its recommendations thereon. 4990.12. The duty of administering and enforcing this chapter, Chapter 13 (commencing with Section 4980), Chapter 13.5 (commencing with Section 4989.10), Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991), and Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10) is vested in the board and the executive officer subject to, and under the direction of, the board. In the performance of this duty, the board and the executive officer have all the powers and are subject to all the responsibilities vested in, and imposed upon, the head of a department by Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11150) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. 4990.14. The board shall have and use a seal bearing the words "The Board of Behavioral Sciences," and shall otherwise conform to Section 107.5. 4990.16. Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramount. 4990.18. It is the intent of the Legislature that the board employ its resources for each and all of the following functions: (a) The licensure of marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, professional clinical counselors, and educational psychologists. (b) The development and administration of licensure examinations and examination procedures consistent with prevailing standards for the validation and use of licensing and certification tests. Examinations shall measure knowledge and abilities demonstrably important to the safe, effective practice of the profession. (c) Enforcement of laws designed to protect the public from incompetent, unethical, or unprofessional practitioners. (d) Consumer education. 4990.20. (a) The board may adopt rules and regulations as necessary to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter and the other chapters it administers and enforces. The adoption, amendment, or repeal of those rules and regulations shall be made in accordance with Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. (b) The board may formulate and enforce rules and regulations requiring the following: (1) That the articles of incorporation or bylaws of a marriage and family therapist or licensed clinical social worker corporation include a provision whereby the capital stock of that corporation owned by a disqualified person, as defined in the Moscone-Knox Professional Corporation Act (Part 4 (commencing with Section 13400) of Division 3 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code), or a deceased person shall be sold to the corporation or to the remaining shareholders of that corporation within the time that the rules and regulations may provide. (2) That a marriage and family therapist corporation or a licensed clinical social worker corporation shall provide adequate security by insurance or otherwise for claims against it by its patients arising out of the rendering of professional services. 4990.22. (a) The Behavioral Sciences Fund shall be used for the purposes of carrying out and enforcing the provisions of this chapter and the chapters listed in Section 4990.12. All moneys in the fund shall be expended by the board for the purposes of the programs under its jurisdiction. (b) The board shall keep records that reasonably ensure that funds expended in the administration of each licensure or registration category shall bear a reasonable relation to the revenue derived from each category and report to the department no later than May 31 of each year on those expenditures. (c) Surpluses, if any, may be used by the board in a manner that bears a reasonable relation to the revenue derived from each licensure or registration category and may include, but not be limited to, expenditures for education and research related to each of the licensing or registration categories. 4990.24. The powers and duties of the board, as set forth in this chapter, shall be subject to the review required by Division 1.2 (commencing with Section 473). 4990.26. Wherever "Board of Behavioral Science Examiners," "Board of Social Work Examiners of the State of California," or "Social Worker and Marriage Counselor Qualifications Board of the State of California" is used in any law or regulations of this state, it shall mean the Board of Behavioral Sciences.