§ 5-44-23. Persons and practices exempt. (a) No provisions of this chapter shall be construed to prevent members of other recognized professions who are licensed, certified, or regulated for independent practice of that profession under the laws of this state from rendering services consistent with their professional training and code of ethics; provided, that they do not represent themselves to be psychologists. Recognized members of the clergy shall not be restricted from functioning in their ministerial capacity; provided, that they do not represent themselves to be psychologists.

(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit teachers, guidance personnel, social workers, and school psychologists in public or private school, from full performance of their duties; nor to prohibit the use of psychological techniques by business or industrial organizations or companies for employment, placement, evaluation, promotion, or job adjustment of their own officers or employees.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting the use of consultants who are defined as qualified intellectual disability professionals under the Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) 42 C.F.R. § 483.430, by facilities licensed as intermediate-care facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities by the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals.

(d) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as permitting the licensed psychologist to practice medicine as defined by the laws of this state.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed as permitting those persons identified in subsections (b) and (f) of this section to offer their services to any persons or organizations other than those listed in subsection (f) of this section as consultants or to accept remuneration for any psychological services other than that of their institutional salaries or fees unless they have been licensed under this chapter or exempted under subsection (a) of this section.

(f) Nothing in this chapter limits the professional pursuits of any nonlicensed psychologists, psychology students, psychology trainees, psychology residents, or persons rendering psychological services as an employee of a licensed hospital, accredited educational institution, authorized community mental health clinic or center, government or medical agency, while functioning under the title conferred upon him or her by the administration of any hospital, educational institution, or agency.

(g) Those organizations listed in subsection (f) of this section include all facilities, agencies, or institutions regulated and/or licensed by the department of health, the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of children, youth and families, and the department of behavioral healthcare, developmental disabilities and hospitals.

(h) A psychologist licensed or certified in another state or United States territory may perform psychological services in the state of Rhode Island without obtaining a license for up to ten (10) calendar days per calendar year with no more than five (5) days of this activity occurring consecutively. The calendar-day limit shall not apply to service as an expert witness in a legal proceeding.

History of Section. (P.L. 1969, ch. 233, § 2; P.L. 1979, ch. 380, § 1; P.L. 1992, ch. 469, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 2; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 2; P.L. 1999, ch. 354, § 13; P.L. 2008, ch. 303, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 416, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 41, § 1; P.L. 2011, ch. 76, § 1; P.L. 2019, ch. 308, art. 1, § 21.)