AB1598 - Behavioral sciences.

Enrolled August 27, 2026 Passed IN Senate August 24, 2026 Passed IN Assembly August 25, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 19, 2026 Amended IN Senate June 10, 2026 Amended IN Assembly April 15, 2026 Amended IN Assembly March 18, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1598 Introduced by Assembly Member Quirk-Silva January 16, 2026 An act to amend Sections 4980.01, 4980.397, 4980.399, 4980.40, 4980.41, 4980.43, 4980.48, 4980.50, 4984.01, 4984.7, 4984.72, 4989.20, 4989.68, 4992.05, 4992.09, 4992.1, 4996.1, 4996.3, 4996.4, 4996.13, 4996.15, 4996.18, 4996.23, 4996.28, 4999.22, 4999.36, 4999.46, 4999.50, 4999.52, 4999.53, 4999.55, 4999.64, 4999.100, and 4999.120 of, to repeal Sections 4980.398 and 4992.07 of, and to repeal and add Sections 4980.44 and 4999.46.1 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1598, Quirk-Silva. Behavioral sciences. Existing law establishes the Board of Behavioral Sciences within the Department of Consumer Affairs and requires the board to regulate licensees and registrants under the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act (LMFTA), the Educational Psychologist Practice Act (EPPA), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (CSWPA), and the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (LPCCA). Existing law makes a violation of those acts a crime. The LMFTA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA each contain varying provisions limiting their application to the practice of certain medical and other behavioral science professionals, attorneys, and certain religious personnel, including priests, rabbis, and ministers of the gospel of any religious denomination. This bill would revise and recast those provisions to, among other things, exempt a religious official of any denomination, including those specified above and imams, when providing faith-based counseling services as part of their regular professional duties for an established and legally recognizable faith-based entity if certain criteria are met. The bill would also exempt attorneys and physicians who provide counseling services as part of their professional practice from the LMFTA and the LPCCA. Existing law establishes examination and experiential requirements under the LMFTA, the EPPA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA to qualify for licensure or registration under those acts and requires an applicant for licensure or registration to have passed certain examinations or obtain specified experience within a certain timeline for it to be accepted by the board. In this regard, existing law generally requires the applicant to gain the required experience no more than 6 years before the board receives the application. For licensed educational psychologists, the EPPA authorizes the board to accept a passing score on a written examination administered by the board for a period of 7 years from the date the examination was taken. Under the LMFTA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA, registrants and applicants for licensure, registration, or a subsequent registration number are required to pass a California law and ethics examination. The LMFTA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA require an applicant for licensure to pass a clinical examination within 7 years from the initial attempt, unless the applicant obtains a passing score on the current version of the California law and ethics examination. This bill, instead, would require applicants for licensure under the LMFTA, the EPPA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA, to obtain the relevant experience and to pass the relevant examination within 7 years preceding the date on which the board receives the application. The bill would require those applicants and registrants under the LMFTA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA who submit applications to the board on and after January 1, 2030, to have passed the California law and ethics examination no more than 7 years before the board receives the application, as specified. Existing law authorizes an associate marriage and family therapist registration, an associate clinical social worker registration, or an associate professional clinical counselor registration to be renewed a maximum of 5 times and prohibits a registration from being renewed beyond 6 years from the last day of the month of issuance. Existing law authorizes an applicant to apply for a subsequent registration number when no renewals are possible if certain requirements are met. Existing law prohibits an applicant who is issued a subsequent associate registration number from being employed or volunteering in a private practice. This bill would increase the maximum number of renewals for those registrations to 6 and would extend the renewal deadline to 7 years from the last day of the month of issuance. The bill would authorize an applicant applying for or holding a subsequent associate registration number to request a 2-year hardship extension of the subsequent associate registration number to allow them to be employed or volunteer at one private practice or professional corporation employer, subject to specified conditions and requirements, including signing an application under penalty of perjury. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law requires an associate marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist trainee to disclose to a client or patient that they are unlicensed and to provide specified information to the client or patient. Existing law requires a social work applicant or registrant and a clinical counselor trainee, applicant, or associate to inform each client or patient that they are unlicensed and under supervision, as specified. This bill would instead require a marriage and family therapist applicant or registrant, a social work applicant, registrant, intern, or trainee, or a clinical counselor applicant, associate, or trainee, in addition to disclosing to a client or patient that they are unlicensed and under supervision, to provide the name of their employer or the entity for which they volunteer. Existing law establishes a $20 fee for rescoring a written examination under the LMFTA, the EPPA, the CSWPA, and the LPCCA. This bill would delete that fee. This bill would delete obsolete provisions and make other technical and nonsubstantive changes. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 4980.41 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1445 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1445 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 4980.01 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4980.01. (a) This chapter shall not be construed to constrict, limit, or withdraw the Medical Practice Act (Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000)), the Clinical Social Worker Practice Act (Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 4991)), the Nursing Practice Act (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 2700)), the Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Act (Chapter 16 (commencing with Section 4999.10)), or the Psychology Licensing Law (Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900)). (b) This chapter shall not apply to any person who is admitted to practice law in the state, or a physician and surgeon who provides counseling services as part of their professional practice. (c) This chapter shall not apply to any priest, rabbi, imam, or minister of the gospel, or other religious official of any denomination when providing faith-based counseling services as part of their regular professional duties for an established and legally recognizable faith-based entity, such as a church, synagogue, mosque, or other recognized religious organization, provided that all of the following criteria are met: (1) The services are performed solely under the direct auspices of that faith-based entity. (2) A separate fee, beyond their customary compensation from that faith-based entity, is not charged or received. (3) They do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words “psychosocial,” “psychotherapy,” or “marriage and family therapist,” and shall not state or imply that they are licensed or registered to practice marriage and family therapy. (4) The services provided are limited to counseling services provided in a religious or spiritual context and do not involve the diagnosis or treatment of mental health disorders. (d) This chapter shall not apply to an unlicensed or unregistered employee or volunteer working in a governmental entity, a school, a college, a university, or an institution that is both nonprofit and charitable if both of the following apply: (1) The work of the employee or volunteer is performed under the oversight and direction of the entity. (2) (A) On and after July 1, 2020, the employee or volunteer provides a client, prior to initiating psychotherapy services or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, a notice written in at least 12-point type that is in substantially the following form: NOTICE TO CLIENTS The (name of office or unit) of the (name of agency) receives and responds to complaints regarding the practice of psychotherapy by any unlicensed or unregistered practitioner providing services at (name of agency). To file a complaint, contact (telephone number, email address, internet website, or mailing address of agency). The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by individuals licensed and registered by the board. If you have a complaint and are unsure if your practitioner is licensed or registered, please contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences at 916-574-7830 for assistance or utilize the board’s online license verification feature by visiting www.bbs.ca.gov. (B) The delivery of the notice described in subparagraph (A) to the client shall be documented. (e) A marriage and family therapist licensed under this chapter is a licentiate for purposes of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 805, and thus is a health care provider subject to the provisions of Section 2290.5 pursuant to subdivision (b) of that section. (f) Notwithstanding subdivisions (c) and (d), all persons registered as associates or licensed under this chapter shall not be exempt from this chapter or the jurisdiction of the board. SEC. 2. Section 4980.397 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4980.397. (a) A registrant or an applicant for licensure as a marriage and family therapist shall pass the following two examinations as prescribed by the board: (1) A California law and ethics examination. (2) A clinical examination administered by the board or by a public or private organization, as specified by the board in regulations. (b) The board shall grant eligibility to take the California law and ethics examination upon approval of an application for registration or an application for licensure, and submission of the required application and fee. (c) The board may grant an applicant for licensure eligibility to take the clinical examination only upon meeting all of the following requirements: (1) Completion of all required supervised work experience. (2) Completion of all education requirements. (3) Passage of the California law and ethics examination. SEC. 3. Section 4980.398 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed. SEC. 4. Section 4980.399 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4980.399. (a) Each applicant and registrant shall obtain a passing score on a board-administered California law and ethics examination in order to qualify for licensure. The California law and ethics examination shall be passed no more than seven years prior to the board’s receipt of the application for initial license issuance. (b) If an applicant fails the California law and ethics examination, they may retake the examination after any waiting period specified in regulation, upon payment of the required fees and submission of a reexamination application. (c) The board shall not issue a subsequent associate registration number unless the applicant has passed the California law and ethics examination no more than seven years prior to the board’s receipt of the application for the subsequent associate registration number. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the seven-year age limit on the California law and ethics examination shall not apply to any application for initial license issuance or subsequent associate registration number received by the board on or before January 1, 2030. (e) A registrant shall complete a minimum of three hours of continuing education on the subject of California law and ethics during each renewal period to be eligible to renew their registration. The coursework shall be obtained from a board-accepted provider of continuing education, as specified in Section 4980.54. SEC. 5. Section 4980.40 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4980.40. An applicant for licensure shall satisfy all of the following qualifications: (a) Meet the educational requirements of Section 4980.36 or both Sections 4980.37 and 4980.41, as applicable. (b) Be at least 18 years of age. (c) Have at least two years of supervised experience as specified in this chapter and its corresponding regulations. (d) Successfully pass a California law and ethics examination and a clinical examination, as specified in Section 4980.397. Each examination shall be passed no more than seven years prior to the board’s receipt of the application for initial license issuance. (e) Not be subject to denial of licensure under Section 480. The board shall not issue a registration or license to any person who has been convicted of a crime in this or another state or in a territory of the United States that involves sexual abuse of children or who is required to register pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code or the equivalent in another state or territory, in accordance with Section 480. SEC. 6. Section 4980.41 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 4980.41. (a) An applicant for licensure whose education qualifies them under Section 4980.37 shall complete the following coursework or training in order to be eligible to sit for the clinical examination as specified in Section 4980.397: (1) A two semester or three quarter unit course in California law and professional ethics for marriage and family therapists, which shall include, but not be limited to, the following areas of study: (A) Contemporary professional ethics and statutory, regulatory, and decisional laws that [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]