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Board to watch bill that would allow licensing waivers during emergencies
Summary
The Board opted not to take a support position and will continue to watch SB 641, an urgency measure that would allow DCA boards to waive certain licensing requirements for licensees and applicants affected by declared emergencies or disasters.
The Board of Behavioral Sciences agreed to continue monitoring Senate Bill 641 (Ashby), an urgency measure that would permit DCA boards and the Department of Real Estate to waive specified licensing provisions for applicants and licensees affected by declared federal, state, or local emergencies.
Staff explained the bill would authorize waivers for exam eligibility and timing requirements, renewal deadlines, continuing education completion dates, fee deadlines, delinquency fees and the fee for duplicate license issuance; boards could extend a waiver up to one year after a declared emergency ends. Staff also said the bill would require all applicants and licensees to provide the board with an email address (current law requires an email only if one exists) and would exempt those in a declared emergency from certain address-change notification deadlines.
Staff recommended a "watch" position, citing unanswered operational questions: how staff would verify the existence and scope of a declared emergency for waiver eligibility, whether the board would need emergency meetings to grant waivers, and whether additional administrative resources would be required to confirm emergencies and process waivers. The board did not adopt a formal support or oppose position and elected to monitor the bill as it proceeds through the legislative process.
