Psychology Board Proposes SB 37

SB 37

The Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP) is proposing legislation, Senate Bill 37, authored by Senator Daniel Martiny.

The bill would exempt the LSBEP from requirements for time-limits, called “prescriptive” provisions, in the law regarding disciplinary hearings, according to the digest of the bill.

The Psychology Practice Act currently has a clause that limits the board’s disciplinary investigations to one year, from the time that a formal complaint is acknowledged and the investigation begins, to the hearing.

The present wordings, reported by some to have been added by Dr. Jim Quillin, is as follows:

“… no disciplinary proceeding shall be commenced more than one year after the date upon which the board knows or should know of the act or omission upon which the disciplinary action is based.”

If passed, SB 37 would delete this language. The bill also adds to the psychology statue, provisions for fees in disciplinary actions. These activities are managed by the subcommittee called the “Complaints Committee,” which does not contain a board member.

The current statue allows, “A hearing fee may also be charged at the discretion of the board.”

The new language, if passed, would read:

“(4) The board may charge a hearing fee to include reasonable costs and fees incurred by the board for the hearing or proceedings, including its legal fees, stenographer, investigator, staff, and witness fees and any such costs and fees incurred by the board on any judicial review or appeal.

(5) The board may charge an informal resolution fee to include reasonable costs and fees incurred by the board for a disciplinary action that is resolved by settlement, consent decree, or other informal resolution, including its legal fees, stenographer, investigator, staff, and witness fees.

If passed, the board would also add “or informal resolution” to a paragraph for collecting fees for hearings. Included would be legal fees, investigator and staff fees, as well.

Finally, the bill would also allow applicants for a state license to substitute 5 years of license level experience for one of the two years of post-doctoral supervision, currently required.

 

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