Section 4980.50.

(a) Every applicant who meets the educational and experience requirements and applies for a license as a marriage and family therapist shall be examined by the board. The examinations shall be as set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 4980.40. The examinations shall be given at least twice a year at a time and place and under supervision as the board may determine. The board shall examine the candidate with regard to his or her knowledge and professional skills and his or her judgment in the utilization of appropriate techniques and methods.

(b) The board shall not deny any applicant, who has submitted a complete application for examination, admission to the licensure examinations required by this section if the applicant meets the educational and experience requirements of this chapter, and has not committed any acts or engaged in any conduct that would constitute grounds to deny licensure.

(c) The board shall not deny any applicant, whose application for licensure is complete, admission to the standard written examination, nor shall the board postpone or delay any applicant's standard written examination or delay informing the candidate of the results of the standard written examination, solely upon the receipt by the board of a complaint alleging acts or conduct that would constitute grounds to deny licensure.

(d) If an applicant for examination who has passed the standard written examination is the subject of a complaint or is under board investigation for acts or conduct that, if proven to be true, would constitute grounds for the board to deny licensure, the board shall permit the applicant to take the clinical vignette written examination for licensure, but may withhold the results of the examination or notify the applicant that licensure will not be granted pending completion of the investigation.

(e) Notwithstanding Section 135, the board may deny any applicant who has previously failed either the standard written or clinical vignette written examination permission to retake either examination pending completion of the investigation of any complaints against the applicant. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the board from denying an applicant admission to any examination, withholding the results, or refusing to issue a license to any applicant when an accusation or statement of issues has been filed against the applicant pursuant to Sections 11503 and 11504 of the Government Code, respectively, or the applicant has been denied in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 485.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the board may destroy all examination materials two years following the date of an examination.

(g) On or after January 1, 2002, no applicant shall be eligible to participate in a clinical vignette written examination if his or her passing score on the standard written examination occurred more than seven years before.

(h) An applicant who has qualified pursuant to this chapter shall be issued a license as a marriage and family therapist in the form that the board may deem appropriate.

(i) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2014, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2014, deletes or extends that date.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 387, Sec. 7) by Stats. 2012, Ch. 800, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2013. Repealed as of January 1, 2014, by its own provisions. See later operative version, as amended by Sec. 2 of Ch. 800.)