Marriage and family therapists: records retention.

Existing law, the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Act, provides for the licensure or registration and the regulation of marriage and family therapists by the Board of Behavioral Sciences, and makes a violation of the law a misdemeanor. This bill would require a marriage and family therapist to retain a patient's health service records for a minimum of 7 years from the date therapy is terminated, and would also require a minor patient's health service records to be retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date the patient reaches 18 years of age. Because a violation of the bill would be a crime, it would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.