AB 1598 changes behavioral science registration and experience timing
Oct 11, 2026 edition · GC-2026-0063 · Published 2026-10-11 · Version 3 · Final
AB 1598 revises California behavioral-science experience, examination, and associate-registration periods, and adds employer or volunteer-entity disclosures. The September 27 law also permits narrowly conditioned private-practice hardship extensions and revises counseling exemptions, with a separate January 2030 transition for specified law-and-ethics examination requirements.
What happened
The September 27 chaptered AB 1598 revises licensing and registration provisions administered by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. It generally changes the relevant experience and examination look-back periods to seven years, with profession-specific requirements in the amended sections. Marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, and professional clinical counselor associate registrations may be renewed six times, with a seven-year outside limit measured from the last day of the issuance month. The operative sections exempt initial-license and subsequent-associate-registration applications received on or before January 1, 2030 from the law-and-ethics examination age limit; that limit therefore applies to applications received after January 1. The law also adds the employer or volunteer entity's name to the affected unlicensed-and-supervised client disclosures.
For an applicant seeking or holding a subsequent associate registration, the new private-practice exception is a one-time, two-consecutive-year hardship extension for one private practice or professional corporation employer. Work cannot start or continue until the Board approves it, and the application requires joint signatures, good cause, and a plan to complete the needed hours. The recast faith-based counseling exemption is also conditional: the specified religious officials act under a recognized faith entity, receive no separate fee beyond customary compensation, avoid protected professional representations, and do not diagnose or treat mental health disorders. Registered associates and licensees remain within the Board's jurisdiction despite that exemption.
Scope and timing
- Authority status
- Final
- Applicability
- Potentially applicable
- Audience
- Health systems, Provider networks
- Jurisdiction
- California
- Recorded date
- 2027-01-01
- Date type
- effective
Why it matters
Licensing, referral, and workforce policies may need to distinguish exempt faith-based, legal, and physician counseling from regulated behavioral-science practice.
Recommended action
Review each profession and registration cohort against the final text; update supervision, renewal tracking and client disclosures without assigning one deadline to all provisions.
Sources
- AB-1598 Behavioral sciences, bill historyOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-08-31 · Source review 2026-09-10
- AB-1598 Behavioral sciences, current bill text (08/27/26 - Enrolled)Official · California Legislature · 2026-08-27 · Source review 2026-09-10
- Governor Newsom issues legislative update 9.27.2026Official · Office of the Governor · 2026-09-27 · Source review 2026-10-04
- AB1598 chaptered operative textOfficial · California Legislature · 2026-09-27 · Source review 2026-10-11
- California Constitution, Article IV section 8(c), official Assembly 2023–24 editionOfficial · California State Assembly · Source review 2026-10-14
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