NOTICE OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE REGULATIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF PSYCHOLOGIST AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATE EXAMINERS
Brief Description: The Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners proposes to update various regulations relating to application requirements for courtesy licenses, continuing education requirements for license renewals and reinstatements to include required hours allocated to specific topics; and establishing new teletherapy standards of practice.
The Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners proposes to adopt regulation changes in Title 12, Chapter 60 of the Alaska Administrative Code including the following:
12 AAC 60.035. Courtesy license requirements, is proposed to be changed requiring an applicant for licensure under this section to hold an equivalent license issued by a licensing body in another jurisdiction where the licensing requirements are equal to those required to obtain a license to practice in Alaska.
12 AAC 60.260. Continuing education requirements, is proposed to be amended, to include a requirement for licensees to complete a certain number of continuing education (CE) hours on specific topics at least once during their licensure. The new provisions will apply to both existing and new licensees, requiring completion of the CE hours in the following subject areas: cross-cultural studies relating to Alaska Natives, teletherapy practices, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and professional ethics. These requirements will apply to all license renewals and reinstatements between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2025. From July 1, 2025, the requirements differ for licensees renewing for the first time or seeking reinstatement. They must fulfill the CE hours for all the specific topics mentioned above. However, for any other renewals, licensees are only required to complete CE hours related to professional ethics. The total number of CE hours for all biennial licensing periods remains unchanged at 20 for each year making a total of 40 contact hours.
12 AAC 60.400. Scope of teletherapy practice, is a proposed a new section establishing the scope and standards of practice for teletherapy, the aim of which is to provide clear guidelines and eligibility requirements for psychologists and psychological associates engaging in technology-assisted distance professional services.
12 AAC 60.990, Definitions, is proposed to add a definition of distance professional services as the provision of services by means other than in person and face to face.
You may comment on the proposed regulation changes, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, by submitting written comments to Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806. Additionally, the Board will accept comments by facsimile at (907) 465-2974 and by electronic mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. Comments may also be submitted through the Alaska Online Public Notice System by accessing this notice on the system at http://notice.alaska.gov/211754, and using the comment link. The comments must be received not later than 4:30 p.m. on August 14, 2023. Comments received after this deadline will not be considered by the Board.
Oral comments relevant to the proposed regulations, including the potential costs to private persons of complying with the proposed changes, may also be given at a hearing to be held on August 17, 2023, via video/zoom and teleconference. You may participate via https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83557174536?pwd=TlNlM1AxR09LV3ZiV29Na3lNNm9OUT09 by entering Meeting ID 835 5717 4536 Passcode 514845, or you may participate via teleconference by calling 1-669-444-9171 and enter the Meeting ID and Passcode noted above. The hearing will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will end when those who have signed up before 11:00 a.m. to give oral testimony have had the opportunity to comment. The chair of the Board may set a time limit for each participant’s oral testimony, determined by the chair before the hearing begins, to allow enough time for all those present and timely registered to give testimony.
You may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, P.O. Box 110806, Juneau, AK 99811-0806 or by e-mail at RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov. The questions must be received at least 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The Board will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and on the Board’s website at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofPsychologists/Regulations.aspx. The Board may, but is not required to, answer written questions received after the 10-day cut-off date and before the end of the comment period.
If you are a person with a disability who needs a special accommodation in order to participate in this process, please contact Alison Osborne at (907) 465-6826 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov not later than August 10, 2023 to ensure that any necessary accommodation can be provided.
A copy of the proposed regulation changes is available on the Alaska Online Public Notice System and by contacting Alison Osborne at (907) 465-6826 or RegulationsAndPublicComment@alaska.gov, or go to https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/PSY-0123.pdf.
After the public comment period ends, the Board will either adopt the proposed regulation changes or other provisions dealing with the same subject, without further notice, or decide to take no action. The language of the final regulation may be different from that of the proposed regulation. You should comment during the time allowed if your interests could be affected. Written comments and questions received are public records and are subject to public inspection.
Statutory Authority: AS 08.01.062; AS 08.86.070; AS 08.86.080, AS 08.86.085 AS 08.86.130, AS 08.86.160, AS 08.86.170, AS 08.86.204
Statutes Being Implemented, Interpreted, or Made Specific: A AS 08.01.062; AS 08.86.070; AS 08.86.080, AS 08.86.085 AS 08.86.130, AS 08.86.160, AS 08.86.204
Fiscal Information: The proposed regulation changes are not expected to require an increased appropriation.
DATE: 7/12/2023 /s/ Alison Osborne, Regulations Specialist Division of Corporations, Business and
Professional Licensing
For each occupation regulated under the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, the Division keeps a list of individuals or organizations who are interested in the regulations of that occupation. The Division automatically sends a Notice of Proposed Regulations to the parties on the appropriate list each time there is a proposed change in an occupation's regulations in Title 12 of the Alaska Administrative Code. If you would like your address added to or removed from such a list, send your request to the Division at the address above, giving your name, either your e-mail address or mailing address (as you prefer for receiving notices), and the occupational area in which you are interested.
ADDITIONAL REGULATION NOTICE INFORMATION
(AS 44.62.190(d))
1. Adopting agency: Board of Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners, Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing.
2. General subject of regulation: updating various regulations relating to the application requirements for a courtesy license, continuing education requirements for license renewals and reinstatements to include required specific topics; and establishing new telehealth standards of practice.
3. Citation of regulation: 12 AAC 60.035; 12 AAC 60.260; 12 AAC 60.400; 12 AAC 60.990.
4. Department of Law file number: 2023200088.
5. Reason for the proposed action: Update and clarification of current regulations.
6. Appropriation/Allocation: Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing – #2360.
7. Estimated annual cost to comply with the proposed action to:
A private person: None known.
Another state agency: None known.
A municipality: None known.
8. Cost of implementation to the state agency and available funding (in thousands of dollars): No costs are expected in FY 2023 or in subsequent years.
9. The name of the contact person for the regulation:
Renee Carabajal, Program Coordinator 2
Board of Registration for Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners.
Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing
Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development
Telephone: (907) 465-3812
E-mail: BoardofPsychologists@alaska.gov
10. The origin of the proposed action: Board of Registration for Psychologist and Psychological Associate Examiners.
11. Date: 12 July, 2023
Prepared by: Alison Osborne