SLS 15RS-74 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 113
BY SENATOR GALLOT
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
PSYCHOLOGISTS. Provides relative to membership of the State Board of Examiners of
Psychologists, qualifications of certain licensees, and maintenance of board documents and
records. (8/1/15)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 37:2353(A)(2), (3), (4), (5) and (6), 2354(E), 2356(G), and
3 2365(D) and to enact R.S. 37:2353(A)(7), relative to the State Board of Examiners
4 of Psychologists, to provide for appointment of board members; to provide for
5 eligibility of board members; to provide relative to qualification of certain licensees;
6 to provide for maintenance of records; to provide for certain terms, conditions,
7 procedures, requirements, and effects; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 37:2353(A)(2), (3), (4), (5) and (6), 2354(E), 2356(G), and 2365(D)
10 are hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 37:2353(A)(7) is hereby enacted to read as
11 follows:
12 §2353. State board of examiners; organization; duties; meetings; fees
13 A.(1) * * *
14 (2) Upon expiration of the three-year terms of the members in office on
15 September 1, 1987, and except for the transition set forth below, the The governor
16 shall appoint members for terms of five years. For the two vacancies occurring July
17 1, 1988, one member shall be appointed for a three-year term and one member for
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1 a four-year term; for the vacancy occurring July 1, 1989, the member shall be
2 appointed for a four-year term; and for the two vacancies occurring July 1, 1990, one
3 member shall be appointed for a four-year term and one member for a five-year term.
4 A board member shall not be eligible to succeed himself. All appointments shall be
5 from a list provided by the Louisiana Psychological Association board or its
6 designee. The list shall report the results of an election in which persons qualified
7 for board membership may nominate themselves and in which licensed members of
8 the Louisiana Psychological Association and other persons licensed under this
9 Chapter are entitled to one vote for each vacancy on the board.
10 (3) Each board member shall have rendered service, teaching, training, or
11 research in psychology for at least five years in Louisiana, shall have held a doctoral
12 degree in psychology from a school or college as defined in this Chapter for a period
13 of five years, and shall be licensed under this Chapter for a minimum of five years.
14 (4) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Subsection, no person shall be
15 eligible to serve as a board member if he is employed by the board, has a
16 contract with the board for services, or within the preceding twelve months of
17 his nomination was employed by the board or had a contract with the board for
18 services.
19 (5) Board members shall serve without compensation but shall receive
20 seventy-five dollars per diem allowance plus the mileage rate provided state
21 employees to cover expenses incurred while engaged in the discharge of their duties.
22 (5)(6) Membership on the board of a public employee or official shall not
23 constitute dual office holding within the meaning of R.S. 42:61 et seq.
24 (6)(7) Each appointment by the governor shall be submitted to the Senate for
25 confirmation.
26 * * *
27 §2354. Fees
28 * * *
29 E.(1) The status of psychologist emeritus is hereby created. To qualify for
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1 status as psychologist emeritus, the applicant must annually make A licensed
2 psychologist who is sixty-five years of age or older may be eligible for a
3 reduction in the annual renewal fee if he makes a satisfactory showing to the
4 board, in a manner to be determined by the board, of all of the following:
5 (a) that the applicant is He is sixty-five years of age or older.
6 (b) , has He has held continuous licensure as a psychologist in the state for
7 at least twenty years.
8 (c) , and at At the time of application, he is retired from the full-time practice
9 of psychology or any other full-time employment.
10 (2) The annual renewal fee for those qualifying as psychologist emeritus a
11 licensed psychologist who is eligible for a fee reduction pursuant to this
12 Subsection shall be one-half of the amount of the current licensure renewal fee.
13 * * *
14 §2356. Licensure of psychologists by written and oral examination
15 * * *
16 G. The board shall keep maintain as a record, in electronic or other
17 format, all of the following items:
18 (1) the The written examination papers,.
19 (2) and an An accurate transcript of the questions and answers relating to the
20 oral examinations,.
21 (3) and the The grade assigned to each answer thereof, as part of its records
22 for at least two years subsequent to the date of examination.
23 * * *
24 §2365. Scope of Chapter
25 * * *
26 D. Any nonresident duly licensed or certified for independent practice as a
27 psychologist in the state of his residence, and which state will permit residents of this
28 state a like and similar privilege as provided herein, may, if associated with a
29 psychologist who is a resident of the state of Louisiana and licensed under this
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1 Chapter an application is submitted to the board with payment of the
2 appropriate fee, practice as a psychologist for a period not to exceed maximum of
3 thirty days in any throughout a calendar year to the same extent and manner as if
4 licensed in this state.
5 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Michelle Ducharme.
DIGEST
SB 113 Original 2015 Regular Session Gallot
Present law provides for membership of the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
("board").
Present law provides that board appointments shall be made from a list submitted by the
Louisiana Psychological Association.
Proposed law provides that board appointments shall be made from a list submitted by the
board or its designee.
Present law provides that each board member shall have rendered service, teaching, training,
or research in psychology for at least five years, shall have held a doctoral degree in
psychology from a school or college for a period of five years, and shall be licensed as a
psychologist in Louisiana.
Proposed law provides each board member shall have rendered service, teaching, training,
or research in psychology for at least five years in Louisiana, shall have held a doctoral
degree in psychology from a school or college for a period of five years, and shall be
licensed as a psychologist in Louisiana for a minimum of five years.
Proposed law provides that no person shall be eligible to serve as a board member if he is
employed by the board, has a contract with the board for services, or within the preceding
12 months of his nomination, was employed by the board or had a contract with the board
for services.
Present law classifies certain licensees as psychologist emeritus if certain qualifications are
met and provides that a psychologist emeritus is eligible for a reduction in the annual
renewal fee.
Proposed law removes the psychologist emeritus status classification and provides that a
licensed psychologist who is 65 years of age or older may be eligible for a reduction in the
annual renewal fee if he meets certain qualifications.
Present law provides that the board must maintain certain records for a period of two years.
Proposed law removes the two year retention period and provides that the board must
maintain certain records in electronic or other format.
Present law provides that any nonresident duly licensed or certified for independent practice
as a psychologist in the state of his residence, and which state will permit residents of this
state a like and similar privilege as provided herein, may, if associated with a psychologist
who is a resident of the state of Louisiana and licensed under the present law, practice as a
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psychologist for a period not to exceed 30 days in any calendar year to the same extent and
manner as if licensed in this state.
Proposed law provides that any nonresident duly licensed or certified for independent
practice as a psychologist in the state of his residence, and which state will permit residents
of this state a like and similar privilege as provided herein, may, if an application is
submitted to the board with payment of the appropriate fee, practice as a psychologist for
a maximum of 30 days throughout a calendar year to the same extent and manner as if
licensed in this state
Effective August 1, 2015.
(Amends R.S. 37:2353(A)(2), (3), (4), (5) and (6), 2354(E), 2356(G), and 2365(D); adds
R.S. 37:2353(A)(7))
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Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.