Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

This chapter is known and may be cited as the “Psychiatric Technicians Law.”

(a) As used in this chapter, “board” means the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California. (b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the board in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the public shall be paramo…

Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of Section 4501 renders the successor entity to the board in Section 4501 subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

As used in this chapter, “psychiatric technician” means any person who, for compensation or personal profit, implements procedures and techniques that involve understanding of cause and effect and that are used in the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of mentally ill or emotion…

A psychiatric technician, working in a mental health facility or developmental disability facility, when prescribed by a licensed physician and surgeon, may administer medications by hypodermic injection.

A psychiatric technician, when prescribed by a licensed physician and surgeon, may withdraw blood from a patient with a mental illness or developmental disability if the psychiatric technician has received certification from the board that the psychiatric technician has completed…

(a) A psychiatric technician, when prescribed by a licensed physician and surgeon, may perform the following activities on a patient with a mental illness or developmental disability: (1) Tuberculin, coccidioidin, and histoplasmin skin tests, providing the administration is withi…

(a) The board shall administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter. (b) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed.

Notwithstanding any other law, the repeal of Section 4503 renders the successor entity to the board in Section 4503 subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature.

(a) The board shall prosecute all persons guilty of violating the provisions of this chapter. (b) The board may employ clerical assistance as it deems necessary to carry into effect the provisions of this chapter. The board may fix the compensation to be paid for those services a…

Except as provided by Section 159.5, the board may employ whatever personnel is necessary for the administration of this chapter.

This chapter shall not apply to the following: (a) Physicians and surgeons licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2. (b) Psychologists licensed pursuant to Chapter 6.6 (commencing with Section 2900) of Division 2. (c) Registered nurses licensed …

This chapter does not prohibit provisions of the services regulated herein with or without compensation or personal profit, when done by the tenets of any well-recognized church or denomination, so long as they do not otherwise engage in the practice set forth in the chapter.

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent persons from performing services described in Section 4502 for purposes of training to qualify for licensure under a program approved by the board or for training in another allied professional field.

(a) The board shall issue a psychiatric technician’s license to each applicant who qualifies and, if required to take it, successfully passes the examination given pursuant to this chapter. The board shall also issue a psychiatric technician’s license to each holder of a psychiat…

An applicant for license by examination shall submit a written application in the form prescribed by the board. Provided that the application for licensure is received by the board no later than four months after completion of a board approved psychiatric technician program and a…

(a) Applicants and licensees shall provide the board a physical mailing address. (b) Applicants and licensees shall provide the board an electronic mail address no later than July 1, 2022. Unless an applicant specifies in writing a preference for regular mail, the board shall dir…

An applicant for a psychiatric technician’s license shall have the following qualifications: (a) Be at least 18 years of age. (b) Have successfully completed an approved general education course of study through the 12th grade or the equivalent thereof as determined by the board.…

The board shall deny the application for approval made by, and shall revoke the approval given to, any psychiatric technician school that does not give to student applicants credit, in the fields of nursing and psychiatric technician practice, for previous education and the oppor…

An applicant for a psychiatric technician’s license shall, upon the filing of the application, pay to the board the application fee prescribed by this chapter.

Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, every applicant for a psychiatric technician’s license shall be examined by the board. The examination shall be held at least once a year and at the times and places determined by the board.

Upon written application and receipt of the required application fee the board may issue a license to any applicant who possesses a valid unrevoked license or certificate as a psychiatric technician issued by any other state or a foreign country, and who in the opinion of the boa…

Every person licensed under this chapter may be known as a licensed psychiatric technician and may place the letters P.T. after the licensee’s name.

The board may, in its discretion, provide for a continuing education program in connection with the professional functions and courses described in this chapter. The number of course hours that the board may require in a continuing education program shall not exceed the number of…

In the event the board adopts a continuing education or blood withdrawal program, the board shall collect an initial approval and a biennial renewal fee as prescribed under Sections 4548 and 4518.1 from any provider of a course in continuing education or blood withdrawal who requ…

The board shall collect an initial approval and a biennial renewal fee in the amount of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) unless a higher fee, not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250), is established by the board, from any provider of continuing education or a course to meet…

(a) In the case of a person who is employed by the state as a psychiatric technician, no state funds shall be expended in releasing the person from duty to attend continuing education courses, other than funds for in-service training and related state-provided programs. (b) If th…

Every licensed psychiatric technician under this chapter may be disciplined as provided in this article. The disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted by the board in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government …

The board may suspend or revoke a license issued under this chapter for any of the following reasons: (a) Unprofessional conduct, which includes, but is not limited to, any of the following: (1) Incompetence or gross negligence in carrying out usual psychiatric technician functio…

(a) The board may issue an initial license on probation, with specific terms and conditions, to any applicant who has violated any term of this chapter, but who has met all other requirements for licensure and who has successfully completed the examination for licensure within fo…

(a) If a psychiatric technician has knowledge that another person has committed any act prohibited by Section 4521, the psychiatric technician shall report this information to the board in writing and shall cooperate with the board in furnishing information or assistance as may b…

The board may deny any application or may suspend or revoke any license or permit issued under this chapter, for any of the following: (a) The denial of licensure, suspension, restriction of license, or voluntary surrender following the initiation of disciplinary action by anothe…

(a) Notwithstanding Section 4521 or any other law, the board may revoke, suspend, or deny at any time a license under this chapter on any of the grounds for disciplinary action provided in this chapter. The proceedings under this section shall be conducted in accordance with Chap…

A plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere made to a charge substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a psychiatric technician is deemed to be a conviction within the meaning of this article. The board may order the…

(a) A person whose license has been revoked, suspended, surrendered, or placed on probation, may petition the board for reinstatement or modification of the penalty, including modification or termination of probation, after a period not less than the following minimum periods has…

The board shall prepare and maintain a list of approved schools which offer an approved program for psychiatric technicians.

The course of instruction of an approved school shall consist of not less than the number of hours or semester units of instruction required for the other program administered by the board. The subjects of instruction shall include the principles of the care of the mentally disab…

(a) The approval process for a school or program shall be consistent with the following timelines: (1) (A) Upon receipt of a complete letter of intent to submit an application for approval as a school or program for psychiatric technicians, the board shall notify the proposed sch…

(a) The board shall maintain a list of inactive schools and programs for psychiatric technicians seeking board approval. (b) A school or program for psychiatric technicians seeking board approval shall respond to the board within two weeks of each inquiry or request during all ph…

(a) It shall be the duty of the board, through an official representative, to inspect or review all schools or programs for psychiatric technicians in this state at such times as the board shall deem necessary. Written reports of the inspection or review shall be made to the boar…

After January 1, 1970, no person shall perform services described in Section 4502 without a license issued under this chapter.

It is unlawful for any person to use any title or letters that imply that the person is a certified or licensed psychiatric technician unless at the time of so doing the person holds a valid, unexpired, and unrevoked certificate or license issued under this chapter.

(a) It is unlawful for any person willfully to make any false representation or impersonate any other person in connection with any examination or application for a license. (b) It is unlawful for any person to permit or aid any other person in any manner to impersonate that pers…

Any person who violates any of the provisions of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon a conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not less than 10 days nor more than one year, or by a fine of not less than twenty dollars ($20) nor mor…

A license expires each year on that date prescribed by the board, if not renewed. To renew an unexpired license the holder thereof shall, on or before each of the dates on which it would otherwise expire, apply for renewal on a form prescribed by the board, and pay the renewal fe…

The board may establish a biennial renewal period.

Except as provided in Section 4545.2, a license that has expired may be renewed at any time within four years after its expiration on filing an application for renewal on a form prescribed by the board, payment of all accrued and unpaid renewal fees, and payment of all fees requi…

A suspended certificate is subject to expiration in the same manner as provided in this article for an unsuspended certificate, is subject to renewal in the same manner as provided in this article for an unsuspended certificate, and is subject to the provisions of this section re…

A revoked certificate is subject to expiration in the same manner as provided in this article for an unrevoked certificate, but it may not be renewed. An application for reinstatement of a revoked certificate shall be deemed an application for reinstatement of a revoked license a…