LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY: SB 887 Consumer Affairs.

SB 887 (Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development. Consumer Affairs, Chapter 510, Statutes of 2023) was signed by Governor Newsom on October 8, 2023, and becomes effective January 1, 2024. Business and Professions Codes 472.4, 2915.4, and 2915.5 are amended with the following effect:

(1) Existing law requires the Department of Consumer Affairs to compile an annual report for the Legislature containing specified information relating to the professional licensure of veterans, servicemembers, and their spouses from each calendar year.

This bill would instead require the report to contain specified information relating to the professional licensure of military members, military spouses, and honorably discharged military members from each fiscal year. The bill would make corrections and other conforming changes to those provisions.

(2) Under the Psychology Licensing Law, an applicant for licensure as a psychologist must demonstrate to the Board of Psychology (“Board”) that they have completed specified training on suicide risk assessment and intervention and on aging and long-term care by submitting written verification from the registrar or training director of the educational institution or program from which the applicant graduated, except as specified.

This bill would also allow an applicant to show completion of that training by submitting a transcript to the Board indicating completion of the coursework and would allow the department chair to act as an additional entity who could provide written certification for convenience for applicants, in cases where the course title did not adequately indicate the coursework that was completed.