H671 - Behavior Analyst Licensure Summary

• Creates licensure system for behavior analysts in North Carolina under new Article 43 of Chapter 90, establishing a five-member North Carolina Behavior Analyst Board to regulate the practice of behavior analysis.

• Requires applicants for licensure as behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst to pass certification exams from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and maintain active certification status, with application fees capped at $250 and renewal fees at $200.

• Sets maximum fee caps: $250 for reciprocal license application, $100 for temporary license application, and $50 for late renewal, with licenses valid for two years.

• Prohibits unlicensed individuals from practicing behavior analysis, making violations a Class 2 misdemeanor with each violation counted as a separate offense; exempts behavior technicians, licensed psychologists, family caregivers, and academic programs from licensure requirements.

• Establishes behavioral analyst-client privilege similar to other health professions but allows mandatory reporting of child abuse and disabled adult abuse without violating privilege; provides disciplinary grounds including fraud, incompetence, unethical conduct, and criminal convictions.