California Business and Professions Code

§ 4980.43.3

BPC § 4980.43.3 Effective Jan 1, 2026Div. 2 · Ch. 13 · Art. 1

Statute text

(a)A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall only perform mental health and related services as an employee or volunteer, and not as an independent contractor. The requirements of this chapter regarding hours of experience and supervision shall apply equally to employees and volunteers. A trainee, associate, or applicant for licensure shall not perform any services or gain any experience within the scope of practice of the profession, as defined in Section 4980.02, as an independent contractor. While an associate may be either a paid employee or a volunteer, employers are encouraged to provide fair remuneration.

(1)If employed, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with copies of the W-2 tax forms for each year of experience claimed. For experience gained during a tax year that has not ended by the date the associate’s application for licensure is received by the board, the associate shall provide the board with a copy of their most recent pay stub.

(2)If volunteering, an associate shall provide the board, upon application for licensure, with a letter from the associate’s employer verifying the associate’s status as a volunteer during the dates the experience was gained.

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Legislative history

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 787, Sec. 60. (SB 775) Effective January 1, 2026.