Committee directs staff to pursue legislative clarifications on remote supervision and abuse‑reporting training

The Policy & Advocacy Committee on Oct. 24 approved a motion directing staff to prepare a legislative proposal to amend several technical provisions of the Board of Behavioral Sciences’ practice acts.

Roseanne Helms, legislative manager, summarized staff proposals to (1) clarify that the supervisor assessment about the appropriateness of video conferencing is required only when two‑way real‑time videoconferencing is actually used for supervision, and (2) make technical changes to child, elder and dependent adult abuse assessment and reporting coursework requirements. Helms said the proposed abuse‑training amendments would emphasize that required child abuse assessment coursework must be California‑specific (referencing the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act), would limit acceptable coursework to accredited schools or board‑recognized continuing‑education providers, and would remove an exemption that allowed applicants to opt out by claiming the course was not relevant to their current practice.

Committee member John Souvec moved the motion to direct staff to prepare and pursue a legislative proposal incorporating the discussed changes; another member seconded. No public opposition was recorded during the item’s public‑comment period, and the committee approved the motion on a roll‑call vote.

Roseanne Helms said the changes are primarily technical and intended to preserve safeguards for remote supervision while eliminating unnecessary requirements when supervision is conducted in person, and to ensure statutory clarity about California‑specific training content and acceptable course sources.