CALIFORNIA SOCIAL WORKERS

4992.1 Only individuals who have the qualifications prescribed by the board under this chapter are eligible to take the examination. Every applicant who is issued a clinical social worker license shall be examined by the board. The examination shall be a written examination conducted by the board or its designee. The written examination shall be the clinical examination developed by the American Association of State Social Work Boards. The board shall not utilize any type of oral examination as a condition of licensure as a clinical social worker, except when necessary as a reasonable accomodation for an applicant with a disability.

SEC.3. Section 4996.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.1 The board shall issue a licensed clinical social worker license to each applicant who, subsequent to the effective date of the act amending this section during the 1997-98 Regular Session of the Legislature, qualifies therefor, and if required to take it, successfully passes the examination given pursuant to this article. Section 4992.1 The board shall issue a licensed clinical social worker license to any applicant who, prior to the effective date of the act amending this section during the 1997-98 Regular Session of the Legislature, qualified therefor, and if required to take, had successfully passed the written examination required pursuant to this article, but had not passed the oral examination required under this article prior to the effective date of the act amending this section during the 1997-98 Regular Session of the Legislature, and has not been guilty of unprofessional conduct pursuant to Section 4992.3.

SEC. 4. Section 4996.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4996.3. (a) Each application for an examination received on or after January 1, 1996 shall be accompanied by an application fee of one hundred dollars ($100) and a fee of up to one hundred fifty dollars ($150), including the examination fee and related administrative costs for the examination, that shall be deposited by the board into the State Treasury to the credit of the Behavioral Sciences Fund.

(b) The Fee for rescoring an examination shall be twenty dollars ($20).