SB-0655 Summary

• Establishes licensure requirements for behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts in Michigan under a new Part 176A of the Public Health Code, effective 2 years after rules are promulgated.

• Sets licensing fees of $50 for application processing and $90 per year for license renewal on a 3-year cycle.

• Creates a 9-member Michigan Board of Behavior Analysts consisting of 4 behavior analysts, 1 university instructor/researcher, 1 assistant behavior analyst, 1 physician specializing in autism or brain injuries, and 2 public members.

• Prohibits use of protected titles ("behavior analyst," "licensed behavior analyst," etc.) without proper licensure starting 2 years after rules take effect; individuals holding BACB certification before the effective date can obtain a license within 1 year of rule promulgation.

• Requires behavior technicians to pass criminal background checks with no criminal history, protects the practice scope from other licensed professions (medicine, speech pathology, physical/occupational therapy, psychology), and permanently revokes licenses for convicted sex offenses.