SB 775 (Ashby) Chapter 787, Statutes of 2025 – Board of Psychology and Board of Behavioral Sciences - Research Psychoanalyst and Student Research Psychoanalyst Registration Oversight and Eligibility - Business & Professions Code 2915.1, 2915.2, 2950, 2954.1(b)(c), 2954.4, 2954.5

Operative Date of Legislation: January 1, 2026

Attention Board of Psychology (Board) stakeholders:

Senate Bill (SB) 775 (Ashby) was signed by Governor Newsom on October 13, 2025, and becomes operative on January 1, 2026. This bill serves as the Sunset Bill for both the Board of Behavioral Sciences and the Board of Psychology, extending each Board’s statutory authorization to January 1, 2030.

Summary of Changes

SB 775 updates the law regarding the oversight of Research Psychoanalysts and Student Research Psychoanalysts (BPC 2950):

• Scope of practice unchanged: Individuals currently enrolled in, or graduates of, Board-recognized psychoanalytic institute may continue to engage in psychoanalysis only as part of teaching, training, or research activities. Amendments do not expand the scope of practice or create a pathway to psychologist licensure.
• Public identification limits reinforced: Registrants may not use any title, description, or service reference that includes the terms "psychologist," "psychology," or any wording that suggests they are licensed to practice psychology in California.
• Consumer protection strengthened: The updated statute references current sections of law that define unprofessional conduct. This ensures the Board retains full authority to deny, suspend, or revoke a registration if an individual engages in conduct such as providing psychological services without a license, misrepresenting credentials, committing fraud, or failing to update the Board regarding changes to their eligibility or training status.

Registration eligibility amendments include:

• Updated naming of eligible institutes: Statute updates the names of three psychoanalytic institutes whose graduates and students may practice psychoanalysis as an adjunct to teaching, training, or research:
  • Psychoanalytic Center of California
  • The Los Angles Institute and Society for Psychoanalytic Studies
  • San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis
• New mandatory training requirements: Applicants for Research Psychoanalyst registration must complete the following prior to issuance of registration:
  • Human sexuality (BPC 2915.1)
  • Child abuse assessment and reporting (minimum seven hours) (BPC 2915.2)
  • Detection and treatment of alcohol and other chemical substance dependency (BPC 2954.1(b))
  • Spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention (BPC 2954.1(c))
  • Suicide risk assessment and intervention (minimum six hours) (BPC 2954.4)
  • Aging and long-term care (minimum six hours) (BPC 2954.5)

Implementation

• The mandatory training requirements for Research Psychoanalyst registration applicants will not take effect on January 1, 2026.
• Instead, implementation is delayed until January 1, 2027, or until the Board has promulgated the necessary regulations, whichever occurs first.

Should the regulation process extend beyond January 1, 2027, the Board anticipates a phased implementation:

1. Effective January 1, 2027: Training in child abuse assessment and reporting, suicide risk assessment and intervention, and aging and long-term care will become mandatory.
2. Subsequent dates (per regulatory package): Training in human sexuality, detection and treatment of alcohol and other chemical substance dependency, and spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention will become mandatory once corresponding regulations become effective.

This delayed implementation ensures that applicants and training programs have sufficient time to prepare for compliance and allows the Board to establish clear regulatory standards before enforcement begins.