LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY: SB 372 (MENJIVAR), Department of Consumer Affairs: licensee and registrant records: name and gender changes.

SB 372 (Menjivar, Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 225, Statutes of 2023) was signed by Governor Newsom on September 23, 2023, and becomes effective January 1st, 2024. This bill adds Section 27.5 to the Business and Professions Code and does the following:

1) The Board of Psychology (“Board”), upon request by the licensee or registrant, shall update the individual’s license or registration by replacing references to the former name or gender on the license or registration, as applicable, with references to the current name or gender.

2) The Board shall replace references to the licensee’s or registrant’s former name or gender with the individual’s current name or gender, as applicable, on the publicly viewable information displayed on the internet about the licensee or registrant. The licensee’s or registrant’s former name or gender, as applicable, shall not be published online.

3) For individuals previously subject to an enforcement action, the Board shall not post enforcement records online, but shall instead post online a statement stating that the individual previously was subject to enforcement action and directing the public to contact the Board for more information about the licensee’s or registrant’s prior enforcement action.

4) If requested by the licensee or registrant, the Board shall reissue the license with an updated legal name or gender, but shall not charge a higher fee for doing so than it would for reissuing the license with other updated information.

All records related to a request by a licensee or registrant for the Board to update the individual’s license or registration pursuant to this section are confidential and not subject to public inspection or disclosure.