Bill Text: CA AB2608 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

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

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Bill Title: Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program: former foster youth.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-20 - Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 585, Statutes of 2018. [AB2608 Detail]

Download: California-2017-AB2608-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Senate  June 14, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  April 03, 2018

Amended  IN  Assembly  March 15, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill

No. 2608

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Introduced by Assembly Member Mark Stone
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Gipson)

February 15, 2018

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An act to amend Sections 4984.75 and 4996.65 4984.75, 4996.65, and 4999.121 of the Business and Professions Code, and to add Section 128455 to the Health and Safety Code, relating to health professions.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 2608, as amended, Mark Stone. Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program: former foster youth.

Existing law authorizes any licensed mental health service provider, as defined, including a marriage and family therapist, associate marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, and associate clinical social worker, who provides direct patient care in a publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage area, as defined, to apply for grants under the Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program to reimburse his or her educational loans related to a career as a licensed mental health service provider, as specified. Existing law establishes the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund and provides that moneys in that fund are available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for purposes of the Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program.

The Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act and Act, the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act, and the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act make the Board of Behavioral Sciences responsible for the licensure and regulation of marriage and family therapists, associate marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and associate clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, and associate professional clinical counselors, respectively. Those acts require the board to establish and assess biennial license renewal fees, as specified. Those acts also require the board to collect an additional fee at the time of renewal of those licenses and directs direct the deposit of that additional fee into the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund.

With respect to grants funded with that fee under the Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program, the bill would require applicants who were formerly in California’s foster youth care system to receive priority over other applicants. This bill bill, commencing on July 1, 2019, would also require the Board of Behavioral Sciences to collect an additional $10 ($5) fee for deposit into the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. The bill would require the $10 ($5) fee to be used solely to fund grants to repay educational loans for applicants who commit to practice in specified facilities for at least 24 months, who are marriage and family therapists, associate marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or associate clinical social workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, or associate professional clinical counselors, and who were formerly in California’s foster youth care system. The bill would authorize those grants to be combined with other grants provided under the Licensed Mental Health Service Provider Education Program to provide up to $20,000 in grant funding per applicant.

This bill would include a change in state statute that would result in a taxpayer paying a higher tax within the meaning of Section 3 of Article XIII A of the California Constitution, and thus would require for passage the approval of ²/₃ of the membership of each house of the Legislature.

Digest Key

Vote: 2/3   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Section 4984.75 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 4 of Chapter 557 of the Statutes of 2017, is amended to read:

4984.75.

 (a) In addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4984.7 for the biennial renewal of a license pursuant to Section 4984, the board shall collect an additional fee of twenty dollars ($20) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) Commencing on January July 1, 2019, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4984.7 for the biennial renewal of a license, and in addition to the fee charged pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall collect an additional fee of ten five dollars ($10) ($5) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.

SEC. 2.

 Section 4996.65 of the Business and Professions Code, as added by Section 6 of Chapter 557 of the Statutes of 2017, is amended to read:

4996.65.

 (a) In addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4996.3 for the biennial renewal of a license pursuant to Section 4996.6, the board shall collect an additional fee of twenty dollars ($20) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) Commencing on January July 1, 2019, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4996.3 for the biennial renewal of a license pursuant to Section 4996.6, and in addition to the fee charged pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall collect an additional fee of ten five dollars ($10) ($5) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.

SEC. 3.

 Section 4999.121 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4999.121.

 (a) In addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4999.120 for the biennial renewal of a license pursuant to Section 4999.102, the board shall collect an additional fee of twenty dollars ($20) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund. Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b) Commencing on July 1, 2019, in addition to the fees charged pursuant to Section 4999.120 for the biennial renewal of a license pursuant to Section 4999.102, and in addition to the fee charged pursuant to subdivision (a), the board shall collect an additional fee of five dollars ($5) at the time of renewal. The board shall transfer this amount to the Controller who shall deposit the funds in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund established under Section 128458 of the Health and Safety Code.

(b)

(c) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.

SEC. 3.SEC. 4.

 Section 128455 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

128455.

 (a) (1)The moneys deposited in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 4984.75 of, and subdivision (b) of Section 4996.65 of, and subdivision (b) of Section 4999.121 of, the Business and Professions Code shall be used solely to fund grants, consistent with this article, to repay educational loans for applicants who meet all of the following requirements:

(A)

(1) Commit to provide direct patient care in a publicly funded facility or a mental health professional shortage area for at least 24 months.

(B)

(2) Are marriage and family therapists, associate marriage and family therapists, licensed clinical social workers, or associate clinical social workers. workers, licensed professional clinical counselors, or associate professional clinical counselors.

(C)

(3) Were formerly in California’s foster youth care system.

(2)

(b) A grant provided to an applicant pursuant to paragraph (1) subdivision (a) may be combined with other grants provided to the applicant under this article to provide a total of up to twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) in grant funding per applicant.

(b)An applicant for a grant under this article, from the moneys deposited in the Mental Health Practitioner Education Fund pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 4984.75 of, and subdivision (a) of Section 4996.65 of, the Business and Professions Code, who is a marriage and family therapist, associate marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, or an associate clinical social worker and who was formerly in California’s foster youth care system shall be given priority over other grant applicants within the corresponding licensed provider group.