July 13, 2009

Today Arizona Governor Jan Brewer approved House Bill 2206, otherwise known as the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners Omnibus bill. This piece of wide-ranging legislation enacts many important and critical provisions relating to the laws that regulate the practice of psychology in Arizona. Of major significance to forensic psychologists is the provision that establishes that complaints of unprofessional conduct made against licensees appointed to cases (such as family law matters) by the bench will not be reviewed or considered by the Board of Psychologist Examiners unless the judge appointing the license first makes a finding that there is a substantial basis to support referring the complaint to the board.

The precise language of the relevant section of HB 2206 is:

The board shall not consider a complaint against a judicially appointed psychologist arising out of a court ordered evaluation, treatment or psychoeducation of a person to present a charge of unprofessional conduct unless the court ordering the evaluation, treatment or psychoeducation has found a substantial basis to refer the complaint for consideration by the board.

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