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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-05</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-19</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Senator Ochoa Bogh</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Ochoa Bogh</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 4980.32 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to healing arts. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>healing arts</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Marriage and family therapists.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law establishes the Board of Behavioral Sciences and sets forth its powers and duties, including, but not limited to, the licensing, registration, and regulation of marriage and family therapists. Existing law requires a marriage and family therapist to provide a client with a written notice stating that the board receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided by marriage and family therapists and containing specified information about the therapist and their license.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would
authorize the employing entity or agency of the therapist, in specified practice settings, to exercise discretion whether to disclose any or all of the information about the therapist and their license in the notice based on individual safety concerns if certain requirements are met.</html:p>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 4980.32 of the
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is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>4980.32.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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A licensee or registrant shall provide a client with a notice written in at least 12-point type prior to initiating psychotherapy services, or as soon as practicably possible thereafter, that reads as follows:
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<html:p>NOTICE TO CLIENTS</html:p>
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The Board of Behavioral Sciences receives and responds to complaints regarding services provided within the scope of practice of marriage and family therapists. You may contact the board online at www.bbs.ca.gov, or by calling (916) 574-7830.
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(b)
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(1)
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Except as provided in paragraph (2), upon initiation of psychotherapy services with a client, the notice described in subdivision (a) shall also include the licensee’s or registrant’s full name as filed with the board, the license or registration number, the type of license or registration, and the license or registration expiration date.
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(2)
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In any of the following practice settings, an employing entity or agency of a licensee or registrant may exercise discretion whether to include any or all of the information required by paragraph (1) in the notice required by subdivision (a) based on individual safety concerns if the setting has an established process by which the client may request and obtain sufficient identification information to file a complaint with the board, that process is
disclosed to the client as part of the notice, and a copy of the notice is preserved as part of the client’s records:
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(A)
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An acute psychiatric hospital, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code.
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(B)
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A correctional treatment center, as defined in Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code.
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(C)
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Any setting where mental health services are provided to incarcerated individuals under the jurisdiction of a local, state, or federal correctional authority, including, but not limited to, a state prison, county jail, juvenile detention facility, or other correctional setting operated by, or under contract with, a governmental entity.
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(c)
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Delivery of the notice required by this section to the client shall be documented.
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