§481B-11 - Sensitivity-awareness group seminars.

     §481B-11  Sensitivity-awareness group seminars.  Any person who deposits any money to attend a sensitivity-awareness group seminar and before the first day of the seminar, requests to cancel his or her right to attend and requests a refund of moneys deposited or paid, shall be refunded in full less identifiable nonrecoverable costs not to exceed the lesser of $50 or twenty per cent of the price of the course, by the sensitivity-awareness group.  Any person who while attending or after completing a sensitivity-awareness seminar, deposits any money to attend subsequent seminars of a sensitivity-awareness group and within five days of making the deposit or before the first day of the subsequent seminar, whichever occurs later, requests to cancel his or her right to attend and requests a refund of moneys deposited or paid, shall be refunded in full less identifiable nonrecoverable costs not to exceed the lesser of $50 or twenty per cent of the price of the course, by the sensitivity-awareness group.  Any offering of a sensitivity-awareness group seminar by a representative of the sensitivity-awareness group sponsoring the sensitivity-awareness group seminar shall disclose to the offeree these rights of refund.

     For purposes of this section, "sensitivity-awareness groups" includes any individual, associated group of persons, or organizations which advertise or assert that attendance by persons at seminars, meetings, training sessions, therapy sessions, or the like sponsored by the individual, group, or organization, will help the persons attending have greater self-awareness or awareness of others, greater self-understanding or understanding of others, or greater capacity for life adjustment or success in life; provided that psychological or psychotherapeutic techniques are used as part of the individual's, group's, or organization's methodology at the seminars, meetings, training sessions, therapy sessions, or the like.  The term "sensitivity-awareness groups" does not include licensed psychologists, or psychologists with a temporary permit, in accordance with chapter 465, or a psychiatrist licensed in accordance with chapter 453, who teach, direct, administer, conduct, preside over, or are similarly involved in seminars, meetings, training sessions, therapy sessions, or the like.

     "Sensitivity-awareness group seminars" means any seminar, meeting, training session, therapy session, or the like sponsored by a sensitivity-awareness group for which monetary compensation is required from persons to attend. [L 1982, c 150, §2; am L 1985, c 115, §17; am L 1996, c 59, §6; am L 2008, c 19, §16]