(a) Except as provided in this section, the board shall issue a renewal license only to an applicant who has completed 36 hours of approved continuing professional development in the preceding two years.

(b) Each person who applies to renew or reinstate his or her license issued pursuant to this chapter shall certify under penalty of perjury that he or she is in compliance with this section and shall retain proof of this compliance for submission to the board upon request. False statements submitted pursuant to this section shall be a violation of Section 2970.

(c) Continuing professional development means certain continuing education learning activities approved in four different categories:

(1) Professional.

(2) Academic.

(3) Sponsored continuing education coursework.

(4) Board certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology.

The board may develop regulations further defining acceptable continuing professional development activities.

(d) (1) The board shall require a licensed psychologist who began graduate study prior to January 1, 2004, to take a continuing education course during his or her first renewal period after the operative date of this section in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies, including community resources, cultural factors, and same gender abuse dynamics. Equivalent courses in spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies taken prior to the operative date of this section or proof of equivalent teaching or practice experience may be submitted to the board and at its discretion, may be accepted in satisfaction of this requirement.

(2) Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this subdivision shall be applied to the 36 hours of approved continuing professional development required under subdivision (a).

(e) Continuing education courses approved to meet the requirements of this section shall be approved by organizations approved by the board. An organization previously approved by the board to provide or approve continuing education is deemed approved under this section.

(f) The board may accept continuing education courses approved by an entity that has demonstrated to the board in writing that it has, at a minimum, a 10-year history of providing educational programming for psychologists and has documented procedures for maintaining a continuing education approval program. The board shall adopt regulations necessary for implementing this section.

(g) The board may grant an exemption, or an extension of the time for compliance with, from the continuing professional development requirement of this section.

(h) The administration of this section may be funded through professional license fees and continuing education provider and course approval fees, or both. The fees related to the administration of this section shall not exceed the costs of administering the corresponding provisions of this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 484, Sec. 6. (SB 1193) Effective January 1, 2017.)