Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Board votes to pursue rulemaking to accept AMFTRB national MFT exam after months of stakeholder debate
Summary
The California Board of Behavioral Sciences voted 10–0 on Aug. 22 to authorize staff to begin preparing a rulemaking package that would allow the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) national exam to replace California's LMFT clinical exam beginning Jan. 1, 2027, while retaining the board’s current exam through Dec.
The California Board of Behavioral Sciences voted on Aug. 22 to begin the regulatory process that would allow the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) national examination to serve as the clinical exam for marriage and family therapist licensure in California starting Jan. 1, 2027.
Board Chair Wendy Strack said the regulatory packet would allow the board and stakeholders “sufficient time to transition” while allowing the board-administered LMFT clinical exam to remain in place through Dec. 31, 2026. The board voted to submit the regulatory text to the Department of Consumer Affairs and, if no adverse comments are received, to initiate formal rulemaking; Justin Huff seconded the motion and it carried.
Why it matters: California is the last state that requires a state-specific LMFT clinical exam, and supporters said adopting AMFTRB’s national test would improve license portability for California MFTs, reduce administrative burdens and better align California with national practice trends. Opponents and some board members urged caution, asking the national exam vendor to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
