Section 4992.1.

(a) Only individuals who have the qualifications prescribed by the board under this chapter are eligible to take an examination under this chapter.

(b) Every applicant who is issued a clinical social worker license shall be examined by the board.

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

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

(e) If an applicant for examination who has passed the California law and ethics 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 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.

(f) Notwithstanding Section 135, the board may deny any applicant who has previously failed either the California law and ethics examination or the clinical examination permission to retake either examination pending completion of the investigation of any complaint 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 Section 11503 or 11504 of the Government Code, or the applicant has been denied in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 485.

(g) Effective January 1, 2014, no applicant shall be eligible to participate in the clinical examination if he or she fails to obtain a passing score on the clinical examination within seven years from his or her initial attempt, unless he or she takes and obtains a passing score on the current version of the California law and ethics examination.

(h) A passing score on the clinical examination shall be accepted by the board for a period of seven years from the date the examination was taken.

(i) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2014.

(Amended (as added by Stats. 2011, Ch. 387, Sec. 19) by Stats. 2012, Ch. 800, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 2013. Section operative January 1, 2014, by its own provisions.)