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Board approves concept to pursue regulation to accept AMFTRB national exam pending statutory steps
Summary
The board gave staff direction to prepare a regulatory package (in concept) to permit acceptance of the AMFTRB national clinical exam for LMFT licensure, contingent on statutory language being enacted and operational readiness including OIS systems and AMFTRB coordination.
The Board of Behavioral Sciences voted March 14 to authorize staff to prepare regulatory materials in concept to adopt the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) national exam as California’s accepted clinical examination for LMFT licensure, subject to several implementation steps.
Legislative manager Roseanne Helms reminded members that statutory changes are required before the board can accept a national exam and that the board previously approved statutory language to be included in this year’s sunset bill (SB 775). Staff asked for ‘‘concept’’ approval so rulemaking preparation can begin in parallel with the legislative process. Staff said they are working with AMFTRB on exam content and candidate accessibility and with DCA’s Office of Information Services to ensure automated transfer of eligibility data and test scores to avoid a transition gap for candidates.
The board approved the concept text shown in the meeting materials and directed staff to draft initial rulemaking documents; staff will return with a full update after AMFTRB collaboration, OIS work, and confirmation that statutory changes have been enacted. The board emphasized that final acceptance of the national exam would not occur until the statutory change is in place and operational issues are resolved. Public commenters from professional associations expressed support, and board members requested transparency about exam validation and data access for California stakeholders.
