To amend sections 125.22, 2151.421, 2317.02, 4757.01 to 4757.07, 4757.10 to 4757.12, 4757.15, 4757.16, 4757.17, 4757.18, 4757.19, 4757.22, 4757.23, 4757.27, 4757.28, 4757.29, 4757.31, 4757.32, 4757.33, 4757.34, 4757.36, 4757.38, 4757.41, and 4757.43 and to enact sections 4757.30, 4757.301, and 4757.44 of the Revised Code to provide for the licensing of independent marriage and family therapists and marriage and family therapists.

Section 1.  That sections 125.22, 2151.421, 2317.02, 4757.01, 4757.02, 4757.03, 4757.04, 4757.05, 4757.06, 4757.07, 4757.10, 4757.11, 4757.12, 4757.15, 4757.16, 4757.17, 4757.18, 4757.19, 4757.22, 4757.23, 4757.27, 4757.28, 4757.29, 4757.31, 4757.32, 4757.33, 4757.34, 4757.36, 4757.38, 4757.41, and 4757.43 be amended and sections 4757.30, 4757.301, and 4757.44 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 125.22.  (A) The department of administrative services shall establish the central service agency to perform routine support for the following boards and commissions:

(1) State board of examiners of architects;

(2) Barber board;

(3) State chiropractic board;

(4) State board of cosmetology;

(5) Accountancy board;

(6) State dental board;

(7) State board of optometry;

(8) Ohio occupational therapy, physical therapy, and athletic trainers board;

(9) State board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors;

(10) State board of sanitarian registration;

(11) Board of embalmers and funeral directors;

(12) State board of psychology;

(13) Ohio optical dispensers board;

(14) Board of speech pathology and audiology;

(15) Counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board;

(16) State veterinary medical licensing board;

(17) Ohio board of dietetics;

(18) Commission on Hispanic-Latino affairs;

(19) Ohio respiratory care board;

(20) Ohio commission on African-American males.

(B)(1) Notwithstanding any other section of the Revised Code, the agency shall perform the following routine support services for the boards and commissions named in division (A) of this section unless the controlling board exempts a board or commission from this requirement on the recommendation of the director of administrative services:

(a) Preparing and processing payroll and other personnel documents;

(b) Preparing and processing vouchers, purchase orders, encumbrances, and other accounting documents;

(c) Maintaining ledgers of accounts and balances;

(d) Preparing and monitoring budgets and allotment plans in consultation with the boards and commissions;

(e) Other routine support services that the director of administrative services considers appropriate to achieve efficiency.

(2) The agency may perform other services which a board or commission named in division (A) of this section delegates to the agency and the agency accepts.

(3) The agency may perform any service for any professional or occupational licensing board not named in division (A) of this section or any commission if the board or commission requests such service and the agency accepts.

(C) The director of administrative services shall be the appointing authority for the agency.

(D) The agency shall determine the fees to be charged to the boards and commissions, which shall be in proportion to the services performed for each board or commission.

(E) Each board or commission named in division (A) of this section and any other board or commission requesting services from the agency shall pay these fees to the agency from the general revenue fund maintenance account of the board or commission or from such other fund as the operating expenses of the board or commission are paid. Any amounts set aside for a fiscal year by a board or commission to allow for the payment of fees shall be used only for the services performed by the agency in that fiscal year. All receipts collected by the agency shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the central service agency fund, which is hereby created. All expenses incurred by the agency in performing services for the boards or commissions shall be paid from the fund.

(F) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a grant of authority for the central service agency to initiate or deny personnel or fiscal actions for the boards and commissions.

Sec. 2151.421.  (A)(1)(a) No person described in division (A)(1)(b) of this section who is acting in an official or professional capacity and knows or suspects that a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, or physically impaired child under twenty-one years of age has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental wound, injury, disability, or condition of a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the child, shall fail to immediately report that knowledge or suspicion to the public children services agency or a municipal or county peace officer in the county in which the child resides or in which the abuse or neglect is occurring or has occurred.

(b) Division (A)(1)(a) of this section applies to any person who is an attorney; physician, including a hospital intern or resident; dentist; podiatrist; practitioner of a limited branch of medicine as specified in section 4731.15 of the Revised Code; registered nurse; licensed practical nurse; visiting nurse; other health care professional; licensed psychologist; licensed school psychologist; independent marriage and family therapist or marriage and family therapist; speech pathologist or audiologist; coroner; administrator or employee of a child day-care center; administrator or employee of a residential camp or child day camp; administrator or employee of a certified child care agency or other public or private children services agency; school teacher; school employee; school authority; person engaged in social work or the practice of professional counseling; or a person rendering spiritual treatment through prayer in accordance with the tenets of a well-recognized religion.

(2) An attorney or a physician is not required to make a report pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section concerning any communication the attorney or physician receives from a client or patient in an attorney-client or physician-patient relationship, if, in accordance with division (A) or (B) of section 2317.02 of the Revised Code, the attorney or physician could not testify with respect to that communication in a civil or criminal proceeding, except that the client or patient is deemed to have waived any testimonial privilege under division (A) or (B) of section 2317.02 of the Revised Code with respect to that communication and the attorney or physician shall make a report pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section with respect to that communication, if all of the following apply:

(a) The client or patient, at the time of the communication, is either a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, or physically impaired person under twenty-one years of age.

(b) The attorney or physician knows or suspects, as a result of the communication or any observations made during that communication, that the client or patient has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental wound, injury, disability, or condition of a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the client or patient.

(c) The attorney-client or physician-patient relationship does not arise out of the client's or patient's attempt to have an abortion without the notification of her parents, guardian, or custodian in accordance with section 2151.85 of the Revised Code.

(B) Anyone, who knows or suspects that a child under eighteen years of age or a mentally retarded, developmentally disabled, or physically impaired person under twenty-one years of age has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental wound, injury, disability, or other condition of a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the child, may report or cause reports to be made of that knowledge or suspicion to the public children services agency or to a municipal or county peace officer.

(C) Any report made pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section shall be made forthwith either by telephone or in person and shall be followed by a written report, if requested by the receiving agency or officer. The written report shall contain:

(1) The names and addresses of the child and the child's parents or the person or persons having custody of the child, if known;

(2) The child's age and the nature and extent of the child's known or suspected injuries, abuse, or neglect or of the known or suspected threat of injury, abuse, or neglect, including any evidence of previous injuries, abuse, or neglect;

(3) Any other information that might be helpful in establishing the cause of the known or suspected injury, abuse, or neglect or of the known or suspected threat of injury, abuse, or neglect.

Any person, who is required by division (A) of this section to report known or suspected child abuse or child neglect, may take or cause to be taken color photographs of areas of trauma visible on a child and, if medically indicated, cause to be performed radiological examinations of the child.

(D)(1) Upon the receipt of a report concerning the possible abuse or neglect of a child or the possible threat of abuse or neglect of a child, the municipal or county peace officer who receives the report shall refer the report to the appropriate public children services agency.

(2) On receipt of a report pursuant to this division or division (A) or (B) of this section, the public children services agency shall comply with section 2151.422 of the Revised Code.

(E) No township, municipal, or county peace officer shall remove a child about whom a report is made pursuant to this section from the child's parents, stepparents, or guardian or any other persons having custody of the child without consultation with the public children services agency, unless, in the judgment of the officer, and, if the report was made by physician, the physician, immediate removal is considered essential to protect the child from further abuse or neglect. The agency that must be consulted shall be the agency conducting the investigation of the report as determined pursuant to section 2151.422 of the Revised Code.

(F)(1) Except as provided in section 2151.422 of the Revised Code, the public children services agency shall investigate, within twenty-four hours, each report of known or suspected child abuse or child neglect and of a known or suspected threat of child abuse or child neglect that is referred to it under this section to determine the circumstances surrounding the injuries, abuse, or neglect or the threat of injury, abuse, or neglect, the cause of the injuries, abuse, neglect, or threat, and the person or persons responsible. The investigation shall be made in cooperation with the law enforcement agency and in accordance with the memorandum of understanding prepared under division (J) of this section. A failure to make the investigation in accordance with the memorandum is not grounds for, and shall not result in, the dismissal of any charges or complaint arising from the report or the suppression of any evidence obtained as a result of the report and does not give, and shall not be construed as giving, any rights or any grounds for appeal or post-conviction relief to any person. The public children services agency shall report each case to a central registry which the department of job and family services shall maintain in order to determine whether prior reports have been made in other counties concerning the child or other principals in the case. The public children services agency shall submit a report of its investigation, in writing, to the law enforcement agency.

(2) The public children services agency shall make any recommendations to the county prosecuting attorney or city director of law that it considers necessary to protect any children that are brought to its attention.

(G)(1)(a) Except as provided in division (H)(3) of this section, anyone or any hospital, institution, school, health department, or agency participating in the making of reports under division (A) of this section, anyone or any hospital, institution, school, health department, or agency participating in good faith in the making of reports under division (B) of this section, and anyone participating in good faith in a judicial proceeding resulting from the reports, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability for injury, death, or loss to person or property that otherwise might be incurred or imposed as a result of the making of the reports or the participation in the judicial proceeding.

(b) Notwithstanding section 4731.22 of the Revised Code, the physician-patient privilege shall not be a ground for excluding evidence regarding a child's injuries, abuse, or neglect, or the cause of the injuries, abuse, or neglect in any judicial proceeding resulting from a report submitted pursuant to this section.

(2) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding in which it is alleged and proved that participation in the making of a report under this section was not in good faith or participation in a judicial proceeding resulting from a report made under this section was not in good faith, the court shall award the prevailing party reasonable attorney's fees and costs and, if a civil action or proceeding is voluntarily dismissed, may award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the party against whom the civil action or proceeding is brought.

(H)(1) Except as provided in divisions (H)(4), (M), and (N) of this section, a report made under this section is confidential. The information provided in a report made pursuant to this section and the name of the person who made the report shall not be released for use, and shall not be used, as evidence in any civil action or proceeding brought against the person who made the report. In a criminal proceeding, the report is admissible in evidence in accordance with the Rules of Evidence and is subject to discovery in accordance with the Rules of Criminal Procedure.

(2) No person shall permit or encourage the unauthorized dissemination of the contents of any report made under this section.

(3) A person who knowingly makes or causes another person to make a false report under division (B) of this section that alleges that any person has committed an act or omission that resulted in a child being an abused child or a neglected child is guilty of a violation of section 2921.14 of the Revised Code.

(4) If a report is made pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section and the child who is the subject of the report dies for any reason at any time after the report is made, but before the child attains eighteen years of age, the public children services agency or municipal or county peace officer to which the report was made or referred, on the request of the child fatality review board, shall submit a summary sheet of information providing a summary of the report to the review board of the county in which the deceased child resided at the time of death. On the request of the review board, the agency or peace officer may, at its discretion, make the report available to the review board.

(5) A public children services agency shall advise a person alleged to have inflicted abuse or neglect on a child who is the subject of a report made pursuant to this section in writing of the disposition of the investigation. The agency shall not provide to the person any information that identifies the person who made the report, statements of witnesses, or police or other investigative reports.

(I) Any report that is required by this section shall result in protective services and emergency supportive services being made available by the public children services agency on behalf of the children about whom the report is made, in an effort to prevent further neglect or abuse, to enhance their welfare, and, whenever possible, to preserve the family unit intact. The agency required to provide the services shall be the agency conducting the investigation of the report pursuant to section 2151.422 of the Revised Code.

(J)(1) Each public children services agency shall prepare a memorandum of understanding that is signed by all of the following:

(a) If there is only one juvenile judge in the county, the juvenile judge of the county or the juvenile judge's representative;

(b) If there is more than one juvenile judge in the county, a juvenile judge or the juvenile judges' representative selected by the juvenile judges or, if they are unable to do so for any reason, the juvenile judge who is senior in point of service or the senior juvenile judge's representative;

(c) The county peace officer;

(d) All chief municipal peace officers within the county;

(e) Other law enforcement officers handling child abuse and neglect cases in the county;

(f) The prosecuting attorney of the county;

(g) If the public children services agency is not the county department of job and family services, the county department of job and family services.

(2) A memorandum of understanding shall set forth the normal operating procedure to be employed by all concerned officials in the execution of their respective responsibilities under this section and division (C) of section 2919.21, division (B)(1) of section 2919.22, division (B) of section 2919.23, and section 2919.24 of the Revised Code and shall have as two of its primary goals the elimination of all unnecessary interviews of children who are the subject of reports made pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section and, when feasible, providing for only one interview of a child who is the subject of any report made pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section. A failure to follow the procedure set forth in the memorandum by the concerned officials is not grounds for, and shall not result in, the dismissal of any charges or complaint arising from any reported case of abuse or neglect or the suppression of any evidence obtained as a result of any reported child abuse or child neglect and does not give, and shall not be construed as giving, any rights or any grounds for appeal or post-conviction relief to any person.

(3) A memorandum of understanding shall include all of the following:

(a) The roles and responsibilities for handling emergency and nonemergency cases of abuse and neglect;

(b) Standards and procedures to be used in handling and coordinating investigations of reported cases of child abuse and reported cases of child neglect, methods to be used in interviewing the child who is the subject of the report and who allegedly was abused or neglected, and standards and procedures addressing the categories of persons who may interview the child who is the subject of the report and who allegedly was abused or neglected.

(K)(1) Except as provided in division (K)(4) of this section, a person who is required to make a report pursuant to division (A) of this section may make a reasonable number of requests of the public children services agency that receives or is referred the report to be provided with the following information:

(a) Whether the agency has initiated an investigation of the report;

(b) Whether the agency is continuing to investigate the report;

(c) Whether the agency is otherwise involved with the child who is the subject of the report;

(d) The general status of the health and safety of the child who is the subject of the report;

(e) Whether the report has resulted in the filing of a complaint in juvenile court or of criminal charges in another court.

(2) A person may request the information specified in division (K)(1) of this section only if, at the time the report is made, the person's name, address, and telephone number are provided to the person who receives the report.

When a municipal or county peace officer or employee of a public children services agency receives a report pursuant to division (A) or (B) of this section the recipient of the report shall inform the person of the right to request the information described in division (K)(1) of this section. The recipient of the report shall include in the initial child abuse or child neglect report that the person making the report was so informed and, if provided at the time of the making of the report, shall include the person's name, address, and telephone number in the report.

Each request is subject to verification of the identity of the person making the report. If that person's identity is verified, the agency shall provide the person with the information described in division (K)(1) of this section a reasonable number of times, except that the agency shall not disclose any confidential information regarding the child who is the subject of the report other than the information described in those divisions.

(3) A request made pursuant to division (K)(1) of this section is not a substitute for any report required to be made pursuant to division (A) of this section.

(4) If an agency other than the agency that received or was referred the report is conducting the investigation of the report pursuant to section 2151.422 of the Revised Code, the agency conducting the investigation shall comply with the requirements of division (K) of this section.

(L) The director of job and family services shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section. The department of job and family services may enter into a plan of cooperation with any other governmental entity to aid in ensuring that children are protected from abuse and neglect. The department shall make recommendations to the attorney general that the department determines are necessary to protect children from child abuse and child neglect.

(M) No later than the end of the day following the day on which a public children services agency receives a report of alleged child abuse or child neglect, or a report of an alleged threat of child abuse or child neglect, that allegedly occurred in or involved an out-of-home care entity, the agency shall provide written notice of the allegations contained in and the person named as the alleged perpetrator in the report to the administrator, director, or other chief administrative officer of the out-of-home care entity that is the subject of the report unless the administrator, director, or other chief administrative officer is named as an alleged perpetrator in the report. If the administrator, director, or other chief administrative officer of an out-of-home care entity is named as an alleged perpetrator in a report of alleged child abuse or child neglect, or a report of an alleged threat of child abuse or child neglect, that allegedly occurred in or involved the out-of-home care entity, the agency shall provide the written notice to the owner or governing board of the out-of-home care entity that is the subject of the report. The agency shall not provide witness statements or police or other investigative reports.

(N) No later than three days after the day on which a public children services agency that conducted the investigation as determined pursuant to section 2151.422 of the Revised Code makes a disposition of an investigation involving a report of alleged child abuse or child neglect, or a report of an alleged threat of child abuse or child neglect, that allegedly occurred in or involved an out-of-home care entity, the agency shall send written notice of the disposition of the investigation to the administrator, director, or other chief administrative officer and the owner or governing board of the out-of-home care entity. The agency shall not provide witness statements or police or other investigative reports.

Sec. 2317.02.  The following persons shall not testify in certain respects:

(A) An attorney, concerning a communication made to the attorney by a client in that relation or the attorney's advice to a client, except that the attorney may testify by express consent of the client or, if the client is deceased, by the express consent of the surviving spouse or the executor or administrator of the estate of the deceased client and except that, if the client voluntarily testifies or is deemed by section 2151.421 of the Revised Code to have waived any testimonial privilege under this division, the attorney may be compelled to testify on the same subject;

(B)(1) A physician or a dentist concerning a communication made to the physician or dentist by a patient in that relation or the physician's or dentist's advice to a patient, except as otherwise provided in this division, division (B)(2), and division (B)(3) of this section, and except that, if the patient is deemed by section 2151.421 of the Revised Code to have waived any testimonial privilege under this division, the physician may be compelled to testify on the same subject.

The testimonial privilege established under this division does not apply, and a physician or dentist may testify or may be compelled to testify, in any of the following circumstances:

(a) In any civil action, in accordance with the discovery provisions of the Rules of Civil Procedure in connection with a civil action, or in connection with a claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code, under any of the following circumstances:

(i) If the patient or the guardian or other legal representative of the patient gives express consent;

(ii) If the patient is deceased, the spouse of the patient or the executor or administrator of the patient's estate gives express consent;

(iii) If a medical claim, dental claim, chiropractic claim, or optometric claim, as defined in section 2305.11 of the Revised Code, an action for wrongful death, any other type of civil action, or a claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code is filed by the patient, the personal representative of the estate of the patient if deceased, or the patient's guardian or other legal representative.

(b) In any civil action concerning court-ordered treatment or services received by a patient, if the court-ordered treatment or services were ordered as part of a case plan journalized under section 2151.412 of the Revised Code or the court-ordered treatment or services are necessary or relevant to dependency, neglect, or abuse or temporary or permanent custody proceedings under Chapter 2151. of the Revised Code.

(c) In any criminal action concerning any test or the results of any test that determines the presence or concentration of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse in the patient's blood, breath, urine, or other bodily substance at any time relevant to the criminal offense in question.

(d) In any criminal action against a physician or dentist. In such an action, the testimonial privilege established under this division does not prohibit the admission into evidence, in accordance with the Rules of Evidence, of a patient's medical or dental records or other communications between a patient and the physician or dentist that are related to the action and obtained by subpoena, search warrant, or other lawful means. A court that permits or compels a physician or dentist to testify in such an action or permits the introduction into evidence of patient records or other communications in such an action shall require that appropriate measures be taken to ensure that the confidentiality of any patient named or otherwise identified in the records is maintained. Measures to ensure confidentiality that may be taken by the court include sealing its records or deleting specific information from its records.

(2)(a) If any law enforcement officer submits a written statement to a health care provider that states that an official criminal investigation has begun regarding a specified person or that a criminal action or proceeding has been commenced against a specified person, that requests the provider to supply to the officer copies of any records the provider possesses that pertain to any test or the results of any test administered to the specified person to determine the presence or concentration of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse in the person's blood, breath, or urine at any time relevant to the criminal offense in question, and that conforms to section 2317.022 of the Revised Code, the provider, except to the extent specifically prohibited by any law of this state or of the United States, shall supply to the officer a copy of any of the requested records the provider possesses. If the health care provider does not possess any of the requested records, the provider shall give the officer a written statement that indicates that the provider does not possess any of the requested records.

(b) If a health care provider possesses any records of the type described in division (B)(2)(a) of this section regarding the person in question at any time relevant to the criminal offense in question, in lieu of personally testifying as to the results of the test in question, the custodian of the records may submit a certified copy of the records, and, upon its submission, the certified copy is qualified as authentic evidence and may be admitted as evidence in accordance with the Rules of Evidence. Division (A) of section 2317.422 of the Revised Code does not apply to any certified copy of records submitted in accordance with this division. Nothing in this division shall be construed to limit the right of any party to call as a witness the person who administered the test to which the records pertain, the person under whose supervision the test was administered, the custodian of the records, the person who made the records, or the person under whose supervision the records were made.

(3)(a) If the testimonial privilege described in division (B)(1) of this section does not apply as provided in division (B)(1)(a)(iii) of this section, a physician or dentist may be compelled to testify or to submit to discovery under the Rules of Civil Procedure only as to a communication made to the physician or dentist by the patient in question in that relation, or the physician's or dentist's advice to the patient in question, that related causally or historically to physical or mental injuries that are relevant to issues in the medical claim, dental claim, chiropractic claim, or optometric claim, action for wrongful death, other civil action, or claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code.

(b) If the testimonial privilege described in division (B)(1) of this section does not apply to a physician or dentist as provided in division (B)(1)(c) of this section, the physician or dentist, in lieu of personally testifying as to the results of the test in question, may submit a certified copy of those results, and, upon its submission, the certified copy is qualified as authentic evidence and may be admitted as evidence in accordance with the Rules of Evidence. Division (A) of section 2317.422 of the Revised Code does not apply to any certified copy of results submitted in accordance with this division. Nothing in this division shall be construed to limit the right of any party to call as a witness the person who administered the test in question, the person under whose supervision the test was administered, the custodian of the results of the test, the person who compiled the results, or the person under whose supervision the results were compiled.

(4) The testimonial privilege described in division (B)(1) of this section is not waived when a communication is made by a physician to a pharmacist or when there is communication between a patient and a pharmacist in furtherance of the physician-patient relation.

(5)(a) As used in divisions (B)(1) to (4) of this section, "communication" means acquiring, recording, or transmitting any information, in any manner, concerning any facts, opinions, or statements necessary to enable a physician or dentist to diagnose, treat, prescribe, or act for a patient. A "communication" may include, but is not limited to, any medical or dental, office, or hospital communication such as a record, chart, letter, memorandum, laboratory test and results, x-ray, photograph, financial statement, diagnosis, or prognosis.

(b) As used in division (B)(2) of this section, "health care provider" means a hospital, ambulatory care facility, long-term care facility, pharmacy, emergency facility, or health care practitioner.

(c) As used in division (B)(5)(b) of this section:

(i) "Ambulatory care facility" means a facility that provides medical, diagnostic, or surgical treatment to patients who do not require hospitalization, including a dialysis center, ambulatory surgical facility, cardiac catheterization facility, diagnostic imaging center, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy center, home health agency, inpatient hospice, birthing center, radiation therapy center, emergency facility, and an urgent care center. "Ambulatory health care facility" does not include the private office of a physician or dentist, whether the office is for an individual or group practice.

(ii) "Emergency facility" means a hospital emergency department or any other facility that provides emergency medical services.

(iii) "Health care practitioner" has the same meaning as in section 4769.01 of the Revised Code.

(iv) "Hospital" has the same meaning as in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code.

(v) "Long-term care facility" means a nursing home, residential care facility, or home for the aging, as those terms are defined in section 3721.01 of the Revised Code; an adult care facility, as defined in section 3722.01 of the Revised Code; a nursing facility or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, as those terms are defined in section 5111.20 of the Revised Code; a facility or portion of a facility certified as a skilled nursing facility under Title XVIII of the "Social Security Act," 49 Stat. 286 (1965), 42 U.S.C.A. 1395, as amended.

(vi) "Pharmacy" has the same meaning as in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code.

(6) Divisions (B)(1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of this section apply to doctors of medicine, doctors of osteopathic medicine, doctors of podiatry, and dentists.

(7) Nothing in divisions (B)(1) to (6) of this section affects, or shall be construed as affecting, the immunity from civil liability conferred by section 307.628 or 2305.33 of the Revised Code upon physicians who report an employee's use of a drug of abuse, or a condition of an employee other than one involving the use of a drug of abuse, to the employer of the employee in accordance with division (B) of that section. As used in division (B)(7) of this section, "employee," "employer," and "physician" have the same meanings as in section 2305.33 of the Revised Code.

(C) A member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, or regularly ordained, accredited, or licensed minister of an established and legally cognizable church, denomination, or sect, when the member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, or minister remains accountable to the authority of that church, denomination, or sect, concerning a confession made, or any information confidentially communicated, to the member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, or minister for a religious counseling purpose in the member of the clergy's, rabbi's, priest's, or minister's professional character; however, the member of the clergy, rabbi, priest, or minister may testify by express consent of the person making the communication, except when the disclosure of the information is in violation of a sacred trust;

(D) Husband or wife, concerning any communication made by one to the other, or an act done by either in the presence of the other, during coverture, unless the communication was made, or act done, in the known presence or hearing of a third person competent to be a witness; and such rule is the same if the marital relation has ceased to exist;

(E) A person who assigns a claim or interest, concerning any matter in respect to which the person would not, if a party, be permitted to testify;

(F) A person who, if a party, would be restricted under section 2317.03 of the Revised Code, when the property or thing is sold or transferred by an executor, administrator, guardian, trustee, heir, devisee, or legatee, shall be restricted in the same manner in any action or proceeding concerning the property or thing.

(G)(1) A school guidance counselor who holds a valid educator license from the state board of education as provided for in section 3319.22 of the Revised Code, a person licensed under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code as a professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, social worker, or independent social worker, marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist, or registered under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code as a social work assistant concerning a confidential communication received from a client in that relation or the person's advice to a client unless any of the following applies:

(a) The communication or advice indicates clear and present danger to the client or other persons. For the purposes of this division, cases in which there are indications of present or past child abuse or neglect of the client constitute a clear and present danger.

(b) The client gives express consent to the testimony.

(c) If the client is deceased, the surviving spouse or the executor or administrator of the estate of the deceased client gives express consent.

(d) The client voluntarily testifies, in which case the school guidance counselor or person licensed or registered under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code may be compelled to testify on the same subject.

(e) The court in camera determines that the information communicated by the client is not germane to the counselor-client, marriage and family therapist-client, or social worker-client relationship.

(f) A court, in an action brought against a school, its administration, or any of its personnel by the client, rules after an in-camera inspection that the testimony of the school guidance counselor is relevant to that action.

(g) The testimony is sought in a civil action and concerns court-ordered treatment or services received by a patient as part of a case plan journalized under section 2151.412 of the Revised Code or the court-ordered treatment or services are necessary or relevant to dependency, neglect, or abuse or temporary or permanent custody proceedings under Chapter 2151. of the Revised Code.

(2) Nothing in division (G)(1) of this section shall relieve a school guidance counselor or a person licensed or registered under Chapter 4757. of the Revised Code from the requirement to report information concerning child abuse or neglect under section 2151.421 of the Revised Code.

(H) A mediator acting under a mediation order issued under division (A) of section 3109.052 of the Revised Code or otherwise issued in any proceeding for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, or the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities for the care of children, in any action or proceeding, other than a criminal, delinquency, child abuse, child neglect, or dependent child action or proceeding, that is brought by or against either parent who takes part in mediation in accordance with the order and that pertains to the mediation process, to any information discussed or presented in the mediation process, to the allocation of parental rights and responsibilities for the care of the parents' children, or to the awarding of parenting time rights in relation to their children;

(I) A communications assistant, acting within the scope of the communication assistant's authority, when providing telecommunications relay service pursuant to section 4931.35 of the Revised Code or Title II of the "Communications Act of 1934," 104 Stat. 366 (1990), 47 U.S.C. 225, concerning a communication made through a telecommunications relay service. Nothing in this section shall limit the obligation of a communications assistant to divulge information or testify when mandated by federal law or regulation or pursuant to subpoena in a criminal proceeding.

Nothing in this section shall limit any immunity or privilege granted under federal law or regulation.

(J)(1) A chiropractor in a civil proceeding concerning a communication made to the chiropractor by a patient in that relation or the chiropractor's advice to a patient, except as otherwise provided in this division. The testimonial privilege established under this division does not apply, and a chiropractor may testify or may be compelled to testify, in any civil action, in accordance with the discovery provisions of the Rules of Civil Procedure in connection with a civil action, or in connection with a claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code, under any of the following circumstances:

(a) If the patient or the guardian or other legal representative of the patient gives express consent.

(b) If the patient is deceased, the spouse of the patient or the executor or administrator of the patient's estate gives express consent.

(c) If a medical claim, dental claim, chiropractic claim, or optometric claim, as defined in section 2305.11 of the Revised Code, an action for wrongful death, any other type of civil action, or a claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code is filed by the patient, the personal representative of the estate of the patient if deceased, or the patient's guardian or other legal representative.

(2) If the testimonial privilege described in division (J)(1) of this section does not apply as provided in division (J)(1)(c) of this section, a chiropractor may be compelled to testify or to submit to discovery under the Rules of Civil Procedure only as to a communication made to the chiropractor by the patient in question in that relation, or the chiropractor's advice to the patient in question, that related causally or historically to physical or mental injuries that are relevant to issues in the medical claim, dental claim, chiropractic claim, or optometric claim, action for wrongful death, other civil action, or claim under Chapter 4123. of the Revised Code.

(3) The testimonial privilege established under this division does not apply, and a chiropractor may testify or be compelled to testify, in any criminal action or administrative proceeding.

(4) As used in this division, "communication" means acquiring, recording, or transmitting any information, in any manner, concerning any facts, opinions, or statements necessary to enable a chiropractor to diagnosis diagnose, treat, or act for a patient. A communication may include, but is not limited to, any chiropractic, office, or hospital communication such as a record, chart, letter, memorandum, laboratory test and results, x-ray, photograph, financial statement, diagnosis, or prognosis.

Sec. 4757.01.  As used in this chapter:

(A) "Practice of professional counseling" means rendering or offering to render to individuals, groups, organizations, or the general public a counseling service involving the application of clinical counseling principles, methods, or procedures to assist individuals in achieving more effective personal, social, educational, or career development and adjustment, including the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

(B) "Clinical counseling principles, methods, or procedures" means an approach to counseling that emphasizes the counselor's role in systematically assisting clients through all of the following: assessing and analyzing background and current information, diagnosing mental and emotional disorders, exploring possible solutions, and developing and providing a treatment plan for mental and emotional adjustment or development. "Clinical counseling principles, methods, or procedures" includes at least counseling, appraisal, consulting, and referral.

(C) "Practice of social work" means the application of specialized knowledge of human development and behavior and social, economic, and cultural systems in directly assisting individuals, families, and groups in a clinical setting to improve or restore their capacity for social functioning, including counseling, the use of psychosocial interventions, and the use of social psychotherapy, which includes the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

(D) "Accredited educational institution" means an institution accredited by an a national or regional accrediting agency accepted by the board of regents.

(E) "Scope of practice" means the services, methods, and techniques in which and the areas for which a person licensed or registered under this chapter is trained and qualified.

(F) "Mental and emotional disorders" means those disorders that are classified in accepted nosologies such as the international classification of diseases and the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders and in future editions of those nosologies.

(G) "Marriage and family therapy" means the diagnosis and treatment of mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family. "Marriage and family therapy" involves the professional application of psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders.

(H) "Practice of marriage and family therapy" means the rendering of professional marriage and family therapy services to individuals, couples, and families, singly or in groups, whether services are offered to the general public or through organizations, either public or private, for a fee, monetary or otherwise.

Sec. 4757.02.  (A) Except as provided in section 4757.41 of the Revised Code:

(1) No person shall engage in or hold herself or himself out as claim to the public to be engaging in the practice of professional counseling for a fee, salary, or other consideration unless the person is currently licensed under this chapter as a professional clinical counselor or professional counselor.

(2) No person shall practice or hold herself or himself out as claim to the public to be practicing social work for a fee, salary, or other consideration unless the person is currently licensed under this chapter as an independent social worker or a social worker.

(3) No person shall hold herself or himself out as claim to the public to be a social work assistant unless the person is currently registered under this chapter as a social work assistant.

(B)(1) No person shall use the title "professional clinical counselor," "professional counselor," or any other title or description incorporating the word "counselor" or any initials used to identify persons acting in those capacities unless currently authorized under this chapter by licensure to act in the capacity indicated by the title or initials.

(2) No person shall use the title "social worker," "independent social worker," "social work assistant," or any other title or description incorporating the words "social worker" or any initials used to identify persons acting in those capacities unless the person is currently authorized by licensure or registration under this chapter to act in the capacity indicated by the title or initials.

(C) Effective one year after the effective date of this amendment and except as provided in section 4757.41 of the Revised Code, no person shall engage in the practice of marriage and family therapy or claim to the public to be engaging in the practice of marriage and family therapy without holding a valid license or temporary license as a marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist under this chapter.

(D) As used in this division, "advertise" means distributing, or permitting or causing to be distributed, any card, sign, or other device; making, or permitting or causing to be made, any sign or marking on or in any building or structure, in any newspaper, magazine, or directory, on radio or television, or by any other means; or doing any other thing that draws or is designed to draw attention.

Effective one year after the effective date of this amendment, no person shall advertise that the person practices or performs marriage and family therapy, or use the title "marriage and family therapist" or any other title that implies the person is a licensee under section 4757.30 or 4757.301 of the Revised Code, unless the person holds a valid license or temporary license as an independent marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist issued under this chapter and performs marriage and family therapy within the person's scope of practice.

Sec. 4757.03.  There is hereby created the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board, consisting of eleven fifteen members. The governor shall appoint the members with the advice and consent of the senate.

Four of the members shall be individuals licensed under this chapter as professional clinical counselors or professional counselors. At all times, the counselor membership shall include at least two licensed professional clinical counselors, at least one individual who has received a doctoral degree in counseling from an accredited educational institution recognized by the board and holds a graduate level teaching position in a counselor education program, and at least two individuals who have received at least a master's degree in counseling from an accredited educational institution recognized by the board.

Two of the members shall be individuals licensed under this chapter as independent marriage and family therapists and two shall be individuals licensed under this chapter as marriage and family therapists or, if the board has not yet licensed independent marriage and family therapists or marriage and family therapists, eligible for licensure as independent marriage and family therapists or marriage and family therapists. They shall have, during the five years preceding appointment, actively engaged in the practice of marriage and family therapy, in educating and training master's, doctoral, or postdoctoral students of marriage and family therapy, or in marriage and family therapy research and, during the two years immediately preceding appointment, shall have devoted the majority of their professional time to the activity while residing in this state.

Two members shall be individuals licensed under this chapter as independent social workers. Two members shall be individuals licensed under this chapter as social workers, at least one of whom must hold a bachelor's or master's degree in social work from an accredited educational institution recognized by the board. At all times, the social worker membership shall include one educator who holds a teaching position in a baccalaureate or master's degree social work program at an accredited educational institution recognized by the board.

Three members shall be representatives of the general public who have not practiced professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work and have not been involved in the delivery of professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work services. At least one of the members representing the general public shall be at least sixty years of age. During their terms the public members shall not practice professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work or be involved in the delivery of professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work services.

Not more than six eight members of the board may be members of the same political party or sex. At least one member of the board shall be of African, Native American, Hispanic, or Asian descent.

Of the initial appointees, three shall be appointed for terms ending October 10, 1985, four shall be appointed for terms ending October 10, 1986, and four shall be appointed for terms ending October 10, 1987. Of the two initial independent marriage and family therapists appointed to the board, one shall be appointed for a term ending two years after the effective date of this amendment and one for a term ending three years after that date. Of the two initial marriage and family therapists appointed to the board, one shall be appointed for a term ending two years after the effective date of this amendment and one for a term ending three years after that date. After the initial appointments, terms of office shall be three years, each term ending on the same day of the same month of the year as did the term that it succeeds.

A member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which the member was appointed. A member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of that term. A member shall continue in office after the expiration date of the member's term until a successor takes office or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. Members may be reappointed, except that if a person has held office for two consecutive full terms, the person shall not be reappointed to the board sooner than one year after the expiration of the second full term as a member of the board.

Sec. 4757.04.  Within the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board, there is hereby created the counselors professional standards committee and, the social workers professional standards committee, and the marriage and family therapist professional standards committee.

The counselors professional standards committee consists of the board's professional clinical counselor and professional counselor members and one of the members representing the public. The committee has full authority to act on behalf of the board on all matters concerning professional clinical counselors and professional counselors.

The social workers professional standards committee consists of the board's independent social worker and social worker members and one of the members representing the public who is not the member representing the public on the counselors professional standards committee. The committee has full authority to act on behalf of the board on all matters concerning independent social workers, social workers, and social work assistants.

The marriage and family therapist professional standards committee consists of the board's marriage and family therapists and one of the members representing the public who is not the member representing the public on the counselors professional standards committee or the social workers professional standards committee.

Sec. 4757.05.  (A) The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall meet as a whole to discuss and review issues regarding personnel, budgetary matters, administration, and any other matter pertaining to the operation of the entire board. The board shall hold at least one regular meeting every three months. Additional meetings may be held at such times as the board determines, upon call of the chairperson, or upon the written request of three four or more members of the board to the executive director. If three four or more members so request a meeting, the executive director shall call a meeting to commence in not more than seven days. Six Eight members of the board constitute a quorum to conduct business. Except as provided in section 4757.39 of the Revised Code, no action shall be taken without the concurrence of at least a quorum.

The counselors professional standards committee and, the social workers professional standards committee, and the marriage and family therapists professional standards committee shall meet as necessary to fulfill their duties established by this chapter and the rules adopted under it. Three members of a committee constitute a quorum for that committee to conduct business. No action shall be taken without the concurrence of at least a quorum.

(B) At its first meeting each year, the board shall elect a chairperson from among its members. At the first meeting held each year by the board's professional standards committees, each committee shall elect from among its members a chairperson. The chairpersons of the committees shall serve as co-vice-chairpersons of the board. Neither the board nor either of its committees shall elect a member to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.

(C) The board shall employ an executive director. The board may employ and prescribe the powers and duties of such employees and consultants as are necessary for it and its professional standards committees to carry out this chapter and rules adopted under it.

(D) The members of the board shall receive an amount fixed under division (J) of section 124.15 of the Revised Code for each day employed in the discharge of their official duties as board or committee members and shall be reimbursed for their necessary and actual expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties.

(E) The board and each of its professional standards committees shall keep any records and minutes necessary to fulfill the duties established by this chapter and the rules adopted under it.

Sec. 4757.06.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall adopt a seal to authenticate its records and proceedings. Each of the board's professional standards committees shall use the seal to authenticate its records and proceedings.

A statement, signed by the executive director of the board to which is affixed the official seal of the board, to the effect that a person specified in the statement is not currently licensed or registered under this chapter or that a license or certificate of registration has been revoked or suspended, shall be received as prima-facie evidence of a record of the board in any court or before any officer of the state.

Sec. 4757.07.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board and its professional standards committees shall not discriminate against any licensee, registrant, or applicant for a license or certificate of registration under this chapter because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, or age. The board or committee, as appropriate, shall afford a hearing to any person who files with the board or committee a statement alleging discrimination based on any of those reasons.

Sec. 4757.10.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board may adopt any rules necessary to carry out this chapter. The

The board shall adopt rules concerning that do all of the following:

(A) Concern intervention for and treatment of any impaired person holding a license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter;

(B) Establish standards for training and experience of supervisors described in division (B) of section 4757.30 of the Revised Code;

(C) Define the requirement that an applicant be of good moral character in order to be licensed or registered under this chapter. All

All rules adopted under this section shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. When it adopts rules under this section or any other section of this chapter, the board may consider standards established by any national association or other organization representing the interests of those involved in professional counseling or, social work, or therapy. The board shall adopt a rule defining the requirement that an applicant be of good moral character in order to be licensed or registered under this chapter.

Sec. 4757.11.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall establish a code of ethical practice for persons licensed under this chapter as professional clinical counselors or professional counselors. The board shall establish a code of ethical practice for persons licensed under this chapter as independent social workers or social workers and, persons registered under this chapter as social work assistants, and persons licensed as independent marriage and family therapists or marriage and family therapists. The codes of ethical practice shall be established by adopting rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code. The codes of ethical practice shall define unprofessional conduct, which shall include engaging in a dual relationship with a client or former client, committing an act of sexual abuse, misconduct, or exploitation of a client or former client, and, except as permitted by law, violating client confidentiality. The codes of ethical practice for professional clinical counselors and professional counselors and for independent social workers, social workers, and social work assistants may be based on any codes of ethical practice developed by national organizations representing the interests of those involved in professional counseling or social work. The code of ethical practice for marriage and family therapists shall be based on the American association of marriage and family therapy's code of ethics. The board may establish standards in its codes of ethical practice that are more stringent than those established by national organizations.

Sec. 4757.12.  (A) A person who is licensed or registered under this chapter, and a person or agency that employs a person licensed or registered under this chapter, may charge a client or receive remuneration for professional counseling or, social work, or marriage and family therapy services only if one of the following apply applies:

(1) Prior to the performance of services, the client is furnished a copy of a professional disclosure statement containing the information described in division (B) of this section;

(2) A professional disclosure statement containing the information described in division (B) of this section is displayed in a conspicuous location at the place where the services are performed and a copy of the statement is provided to the client upon request.

(B) The professional disclosure statement required by division (A) of this section shall contain the following:

(1) The name, title, business address, and business telephone number of the professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, social work assistant, social worker, or independent social worker, independent marriage and family therapist, or marriage and family therapist performing the services;

(2) The formal professional education of the person performing the services, including the institutions the person attended, the dates attended, and the degrees received from them;

(3) The areas of competence in the field in which the person is licensed or registered and the services the person provides;

(4) In the case of a person who is engaged in a private individual practice, partnership, or group practice, the person's fee schedule, listed by type of service or hourly rate;

(5) At the bottom of the first page of the disclosure statement, the words, "this This information is required by the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board, which regulates the practices of professional counseling and, social work, and marriage and family therapy in this state." and, immediately beneath those words, the name, address, and telephone number of the board.

Sec. 4757.15.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall prepare, cause to be prepared, or procure the use of, and grade, have graded, or procure the grading of, examinations to determine the competence of applicants for licensure under this chapter. The board may administer separate examinations to reflect differences in educational degrees earned by applicants. The board may develop the examinations or use examinations prepared by state or national organizations that represent the interests of those involved in professional counseling or, social work, or marriage and family therapy. The board shall conduct examinations at least twice each year and shall determine the level of competence necessary for a passing score.

Sec. 4757.16.  (A) A person seeking to be licensed under this chapter as a professional clinical counselor or professional counselor shall file with the counselors professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board a written application on a form prescribed by the board. A person seeking to be licensed under this chapter as an independent social worker or social worker or registered under this chapter as a social work assistant shall file with the social workers professional standards committee of the board a written application on a form prescribed by the board. Each A person seeking to be licensed under this chapter as an independent marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist shall file with the marriage and family therapist professional standards committee of the board a written application on a form prescribed by the board.

Each form prescribed by the board shall contain a statement informing the applicant that a person who knowingly makes a false statement on the form is guilty of falsification under section 2921.13 of the Revised Code, a misdemeanor of the first degree.

(B) The professional standards committees shall review each application received and shall determine whether the applicant meets the requirements to receive the license or certificate of registration for which application has been made.

Sec. 4757.17.  The professional standards committees of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall review the applications of applicants for licensure or registration under this chapter who have received a post-secondary degree from an educational institution outside the United States. The committee reviewing the application shall determine whether the applicant's experience, command of the English language, and completed academic program meet the standards of an academic program of an accredited educational institution. If they do, the applicant shall be considered to have received the education from an accredited educational institution as required by this chapter and rules adopted under it.

Sec. 4757.18.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board may enter into a reciprocal agreement with any state that regulates individuals practicing in the same capacities as those regulated under this chapter if the board finds that the state has requirements substantially equivalent to the requirements this state has for receipt of a license or certificate of registration under this chapter. In a reciprocal agreement, the board agrees to issue the appropriate license or certificate of registration to any resident of the other state whose practice is currently authorized by that state if that state's regulatory body agrees to authorize the appropriate practice of any resident of this state who holds a valid license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter.

The professional standards committees of the board may, by endorsement, issue the appropriate license or certificate of registration to a resident of a state with which the board does not have a reciprocal agreement, if the person submits proof satisfactory to the committee of currently being licensed, certified, registered, or otherwise authorized to practice by that state.

Sec. 4757.19.  On receipt of a notice pursuant to section 3123.43 of the Revised Code, the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall comply with sections 3123.41 to 3123.50 of the Revised Code and any applicable rules adopted under section 3123.63 of the Revised Code with respect to a license issued pursuant to this chapter.

Sec. 4757.22.  (A) The counselors professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall issue a license to practice as a professional clinical counselor to each applicant who submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, and meets the requirements specified in division (B) of this section.

(B) To be eligible for a professional clinical counselor license, an individual must meet the following requirements:

(1) The individual must be of good moral character.

(2) The individual must hold from an accredited educational institution a graduate degree in counseling.

(3) The individual must complete a minimum of ninety quarter hours of graduate credit in counselor training acceptable to the committee, including a minimum of thirty quarter hours of instruction in the following areas:

(a) Clinical psychopathology, personality, and abnormal behavior;

(b) Evaluation of mental and emotional disorders;

(c) Diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders;

(d) Methods of prevention, intervention, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders.

(4) The individual must complete, in either a private or clinical counseling setting, supervised experience in counseling that is of a type approved by the committee, is supervised by a professional clinical counselor or other qualified professional approved by the committee, and is in the following amounts:

(a) In the case of an individual holding only a master's degree, not less than two years of experience, which must be completed after the award of the master's degree;

(b) In the case of an individual holding a doctorate, not less than one year of experience, which must be completed after the award of the doctorate.

(5) The individual must pass a field evaluation that meets the following requirements:

(a) Has been completed by the applicant's instructors, employers, supervisors, or other persons determined by the committee to be competent to evaluate an individual's professional competence;

(b) Includes documented evidence of the quality, scope, and nature of the applicant's experience and competence in diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders.

(6) The individual must pass an examination administered by the board for the purpose of determining ability to practice as a professional clinical counselor.

(C) To be accepted by the committee for purposes of division (B) of this section, counselor training must include at least the following:

(1) Instruction in human growth and development; counseling theory; counseling techniques; group dynamics, processing, and counseling; appraisal of individuals; research and evaluation; professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities; social and cultural foundations; and lifestyle and career development;

(2) Participation in a supervised practicum and internship in counseling.

(D) The committee may issue a provisional license to an applicant who meets all of the requirements to be licensed under this section, pending the receipt of transcripts or action by the committee to issue a license to practice as a professional clinical counselor.

(E) An individual may not sit for the licensing examination unless the individual meets the educational requirements to be licensed under this section. An individual who is denied admission to the licensing examination may appeal the denial in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(F) The board shall adopt any rules necessary for the committee to implement this section, including criteria for the committee to use in determining whether an applicant's training should be accepted and supervised experience approved. Rules adopted under this division shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4757.23.  (A) The counselors professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall issue a license as a professional counselor to each applicant who submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, and meets the requirements established under division (B) of this section.

(B) To be eligible for a license as a professional counselor, an individual must meet the following requirements:

(1) The individual must be of good moral character.

(2) The individual must hold from an accredited educational institution a graduate degree in counseling.

(3) The individual must complete a minimum of ninety quarter hours of graduate credit in counselor training acceptable to the committee, which the individual may complete while working toward receiving a graduate degree in counseling or subsequent to receiving the degree.

(4) The individual must pass an examination administered by the board for the purpose of determining ability to practice as a professional counselor.

(C) To be accepted by the committee for purposes of division (B) of this section, counselor training must include at least the following:

(1) Instruction in human growth and development; counseling theory; counseling techniques; group dynamics, processing, and counseling; appraisal of individuals; research and evaluation; professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities; social and cultural foundations; and lifestyle and career development;

(2) Participation in a supervised practicum and internship in counseling.

(D) The committee may issue a provisional license to an applicant who meets all of the requirements to be licensed under this section, pending the receipt of transcripts or action by the committee to issue a license as a professional counselor.

(E) An individual may not sit for the licensing examination unless the individual meets the educational requirements to be licensed under this section. An individual who is denied admission to the licensing examination may appeal the denial in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

(F) The board shall adopt any rules necessary for the committee to implement this section, including criteria for the committee to use in determining whether an applicant's training should be accepted. Rules adopted under this division shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4757.27.  (A) The social workers professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall issue a license as an independent social worker to each applicant who submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, and meets the requirements specified in division (B) of this section. An independent social worker license shall clearly indicate each academic degree earned by the person to whom it has been issued.

(B) To be eligible for a license as an independent social worker, an individual must meet the following requirements:

(1) The individual must be of good moral character.

(2) The individual must hold from an accredited educational institution a master's degree or a doctorate in social work.

(3) The individual must complete at least two years of post-master's degree social work experience supervised by an independent social worker.

(4) The individual must pass an examination administered by the board for the purpose of determining ability to practice as an independent social worker.

(C) The committee may issue a temporary license to an applicant who meets all of the requirements to be licensed under this section, pending the receipt of transcripts or action by the committee to issue a license as an independent social worker.

(D) The board shall adopt any rules necessary for the committee to implement this section, including criteria for the committee to use in determining whether an applicant's training should be accepted and supervised experience approved. Rules adopted under this division shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4757.28.  (A) The social workers professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall issue a license as a social worker to each applicant who submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, and meets the requirements specified in division (B) of this section. A social worker license shall clearly indicate each academic degree earned by the person to whom it is issued.

(B) To be eligible for a license as a social worker, an individual must meet the following requirements:

(1) The individual must be of good moral character.

(2) The individual must hold from an accredited educational institution one of the following:

(a) A baccalaureate degree in social work or, prior to October 10, 1992, a baccalaureate degree in a program closely related to social work and approved by the committee;

(b) A master's degree in social work;

(c) A doctorate in social work.

(3) The individual must pass an examination administered by the board for the purpose of determining ability to practice as a social worker.

(C) The committee may issue a temporary license to an applicant who meets all of the requirements to be licensed under this section, pending the receipt of transcripts or action by the committee to issue a license as a social worker. However, the committee may issue a temporary license to an applicant who provides the board with a statement from the applicant's academic institution indicating that the applicant is in good standing with the institution, that the applicant has met the academic requirements for the applicant's degree, and the date the applicant will receive the applicant's degree.

(D) The board shall adopt any rules necessary for the committee to implement this section, including criteria for the committee to use in determining whether an applicant's training should be accepted and supervised experience approved. Rules adopted under this division shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4757.29.  (A) The social workers professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall issue a certificate of registration as a social work assistant to each applicant who submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, is of good moral character, and holds from an accredited educational institution an associate degree in social service technology or a bachelor's degree that is equivalent to an associate degree in social service technology or a related bachelor's or higher degree that is approved by the committee.

(B) On and after the effective date of this section March 18, 1997, a counselor assistant certificate of registration issued under former section 4757.08 of the Revised Code shall be considered a certificate of registration as a social work assistant. The holder of the certificate is subject to the supervision requirements specified in section 4757.26 of the Revised Code, the continuing education requirements specified in section 4757.33 of the Revised Code, and regulation by the social workers professional standards committee. On the first renewal occurring after the effective date of this section March 18, 1997, the committee shall issue a certificate of registration as a social work assistant to each former counselor assistant who qualifies for renewal.

(C) The social workers professional standards committee shall issue a certificate of registration as a social work assistant to any person who, on or before one year after the effective date of this section March 18, 1998, meets the requirements for a certificate of registration as a counselor assistant pursuant to division (A)(3) of former section 4757.08 of the Revised Code, submits a properly completed application, pays the fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code, and is of good moral character.

Sec. 4757.30.  (A) The counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall, after reviewing the report submitted to it by the marriage and family therapists professional standards committee, issue a license as a marriage and family therapist to a person who has done all of the following:

(1) Properly completed an application for the license;

(2) Paid the required fee established by the board under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code;

(3) Received from an educational institution accredited at the time the degree was granted by a regional accrediting organization recognized by the board a master's degree or a doctorate in marriage and family therapy or a graduate degree in an allied field from such an institution and graduate level course work equivalent to a master's degree in marriage and family therapy;

(4) Passed an examination administered by the board for the purpose of determining the person's ability to be a marriage and family therapist;

(5) Successfully completed the equivalent of three semester or four quarter credits in research and professional ethics and nine semester or twelve quarter credits each in marriage and family studies, marriage and family therapy, and human development;

(6) Completed a practicum that includes at least three hundred hours of client contact.

(B) The board shall, after reviewing the report submitted to it by the marriage and family therapists professional standards committee, issue a license as an independent marriage and family therapist to a person who meets all of the requirements of division (A) of this section and, after earning the degree required by division (A)(3) of this section, completed at least two calendar years of work experience in marriage and family therapy, including one thousand hours of documented client contact in marriage and family therapy. Two hundred hours of the one thousand hours must be supervised by a supervisor whose training and experience meets standards established by the board in rules adopted under section 4757.10 of the Revised Code and one hundred hours of the two hundred hours of supervision must be individual supervision.

(C) The board shall waive the requirements of divisions (A)(4) and (5) of this section for an applicant seeking licensure under division (A) or (B) of this section for the two years immediately following the effective date of this section if the applicant presents satisfactory evidence of both of the following:

(1) That the applicant engaged in the practice of marriage and family therapy for a total of not less than five years prior to the effective date of this section;

(2) That, at the time of application, the applicant is an associate or clinical member of the American association of marriage and family therapists.

(D) An independent marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist may engage in the private practice of marriage and family therapy as an individual practitioner or as a member of a partnership or group practice.

(E) A marriage and family therapist may diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders only under the supervision of a psychologist, psychiatrist, professional clinical counselor, independent social worker, or independent marriage and family therapist. An independent marriage and family therapist may diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders without supervision.

(F) Nothing in this chapter or rules adopted under it authorizes an independent marriage and family therapist or a marriage and family therapist to admit a patient to a hospital or requires a hospital to allow a marriage and family therapist to admit a patient.

Sec. 4757.301.  On receipt of an application for a license as a marriage and family therapist, the counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board may issue a temporary license to an individual who qualifies under division (A) of section 4757.30 of the Revised Code for licensure as a marriage and family therapist or divisions (A) and (B) of section 4757.30 of the Revised Code for licensure as an independent marriage and family therapist, except that the individual is awaiting the next opportunity to take an examination required by the board under that division. The temporary license allows the holder to engage in the practice of independent marriage and family therapy or marriage and family therapy as appropriate and is valid from the date of issuance until the earlier of one year from that date, the date the applicant withdraws from taking the examination, the date the applicant is notified that the applicant failed the examination, or the date the applicant's license is issued under section 4757.30 of the Revised Code. A temporary license may not be renewed.

Sec. 4757.31.  (A) Subject to division (B) of this section, the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall establish, and may from time to time adjust, fees to be charged for the following:

(1) Examination for licensure as a professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, marriage and family therapist, independent marriage and family therapist, social worker, or independent social worker;

(2) Initial licenses of professional clinical counselors, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, independent marriage and family therapists, social workers, and independent social workers, except that the board shall charge only one fee to a person who fulfills all requirements for both more than one of the following initial licenses: an initial license as a social worker or independent social worker and, an initial license as a professional counselor or professional clinical counselor, and an initial license as a marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist;

(3) Initial certificates of registration of social work assistants;

(4) Renewal of licenses of professional clinical counselors, professional counselors, marriage and family therapists, independent marriage and family therapists, social workers, and independent social workers and renewal of certificates of registration of social work assistants.

(B) The fees charged under division (A)(1) of this section shall be established in amounts sufficient to cover the direct expenses incurred in examining applicants for licensure. The fees charged under divisions (A)(2), (3), and (4) of this section shall be nonrefundable and shall be established in amounts sufficient to cover the necessary expenses in administering this chapter and rules adopted under it that are not covered by fees charged under division (A)(1) or (C) of this section. The renewal fee for a license or certificate of registration shall not be less than the initial fee for that license or certificate. The fees charged for licensure and registration and the renewal of licensure and registration may differ for the various types of licensure and registration, but shall not exceed seventy-five one hundred twenty-five dollars each, unless the board determines that amounts in excess of seventy-five one hundred twenty-five dollars are needed to cover its necessary expenses in administering this chapter and rules adopted under it and the amounts in excess of seventy-five one hundred twenty-five dollars are approved by the controlling board.

(C) All receipts of the board shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the occupational licensing and regulatory fund. All vouchers of the board shall be approved by the chairperson or executive director of the board, or both, as authorized by the board.

Sec. 4757.32.  A license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter expires two years after it is issued and may be renewed in accordance with the standard renewal procedure established under Chapter 4745. of the Revised Code.

Subject to section 4757.36 of the Revised Code, the staff of the appropriate professional standards committee of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall, on behalf of each committee, issue a renewed license or certificate of registration to each applicant who has paid the renewal fee established by the board under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code and satisfied the continuing education requirements established by the board under section 4757.33 of the Revised Code.

A license or certificate of registration that is not renewed lapses on its expiration date. A license or certificate of registration that has lapsed may be restored if the individual, not later than two years after the license or certificate expired, applies for restoration of the license or certificate. The staff of the appropriate professional standards committee shall issue a restored license or certificate of registration to the applicant if the applicant pays the renewal fee established under section 4757.31 of the Revised Code and satisfies the continuing education requirements established under section 4757.33 of the Revised Code for restoring the license or certificate of registration. The board and its professional standards committees shall not require a person to take an examination as a condition of having a lapsed license or certificate of registration restored.

Sec. 4757.33.  (A) Except as provided in division (B) of this section, each person who holds a license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter shall complete during the period that the license or certificate is in effect not less than thirty clock hours of continuing professional education as a condition of receiving a renewed license or certificate. To have a lapsed license or certificate of registration restored, a person shall complete the number of hours of continuing education specified by the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board in rules it shall adopt in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

The professional standards committees of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code establishing standards and procedures to be followed by the committees in conducting the continuing education approval process.

(B) The board may waive the continuing education requirements established under this section for persons who are unable to fulfill them because of military service, illness, residence abroad, or any other reason the committee considers acceptable.

In the case of a social worker licensed by virtue of receiving, prior to October 10, 1992, a baccalaureate degree in a program closely related to social work, as a condition of the first renewal of the license, the social worker must complete at an accredited educational institution a minimum of five semester hours of social work graduate or undergraduate credit, or their equivalent, that is acceptable to the committee and includes a course in social work theory and a course in social work methods.

Sec. 4757.34.  Not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section December 9, 1994, the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall approve one or more continuing education courses of study that assist social workers, independent social workers, social work assistants, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists, professional clinical counselors, and professional counselors in recognizing the signs of domestic violence and its relationship to child abuse. Social workers, independent social workers, social work assistants, independent marriage and family therapists, marriage and family therapists, professional clinical counselors, and professional counselors are not required to take the courses.

Sec. 4757.36.  (A) The professional standards committees of the counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may refuse to issue a license or certificate of registration applied for under this chapter; refuse to renew a license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter; suspend, revoke, or otherwise restrict a license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter; or reprimand a person holding a license or certificate of registration issued under this chapter. Such actions may be taken by the appropriate committee if the applicant for a license or certificate of registration or the person holding a license or certificate of registration has:

(1) Committed a violation of any provision of this chapter or rules adopted under it;

(2) Knowingly made a false statement on an application for licensure or registration, or for renewal of a license or certificate of registration;

(3) Accepted a commission or rebate for referring persons to any professionals licensed, certified, or registered by any court or board, commission, department, division, or other agency of the state, including, but not limited to, individuals practicing counseling or, social work, or marriage and family therapy or practicing in fields related to counseling or, social work, or marriage and family therapy;

(4) Failed to comply with section 4757.12 of the Revised Code;

(5) Been convicted in this or any other state of any crime that is a felony in this state;

(6) Had the ability to perform properly as a professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist, social work assistant, social worker, or independent social worker impaired due to the use of alcohol or other drugs or any other physical or mental condition;

(7) Been convicted in this state or in any other state of a misdemeanor committed in the course of practice as a professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist, social work assistant, social worker, or independent social worker;

(8) Practiced outside the scope of practice applicable to that person;

(9) Practiced without complying with the supervision requirements specified under sections 4757.21 and 4757.26, and division (E) of section 4757.30, of the Revised Code;

(10) Violated the person's code of ethical practice adopted by rule of the board pursuant to section 4757.11 of the Revised Code;

(11) Had a license or certificate of registration revoked or suspended, or voluntarily surrendered a license or certificate of registration in another state or jurisdiction for an offense that would be a violation of this chapter.

(B) One year or more after the date of suspension or revocation of a license or certificate of registration under this section, application may be made to the appropriate professional standards committee for reinstatement. The committee may accept or refuse an application for reinstatement. If a license has been suspended or revoked, the committee may require an examination for reinstatement.

Sec. 4757.38.  The counselor and, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board shall investigate alleged violations of this chapter or the rules adopted under it and alleged irregularities in the delivery of services related to professional counseling or, social work, or marriage and family therapy by persons licensed or registered under this chapter. As part of its conduct of an investigation, the board may issue subpoenas, examine witnesses, and administer oaths.

The board may receive any information necessary to conduct an investigation under this section. If the board is investigating the provision of services to a couple or group, it is not necessary for both members of the couple or all members of the group to consent to the release of information relevant to the investigation.

The board shall ensure that all records it holds pertaining to an investigation remain confidential. The board shall adopt rules establishing procedures to be followed in maintaining the confidentiality of its investigative records. The rules shall be adopted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4757.41.  (A) This chapter shall not apply to the following:

(1) A person certified by the state board of education under Chapter 3319. of the Revised Code while performing any services within the person's scope of employment by a board of education or by a private school meeting the standards prescribed by the state board of education under division (D) of section 3301.07 of the Revised Code or in a program operated under Chapter 5126. of the Revised Code for training individuals with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities;

(2) Psychologists or school psychologists licensed under Chapter 4732. of the Revised Code;

(3) Members of other professions licensed, certified, or registered by this state while performing services within the recognized scope, standards, and ethics of their respective professions;

(4) Rabbis, priests, Christian science practitioners, clergy, or members of religious orders and other individuals participating with them in pastoral counseling when the counseling activities are within the scope of the performance of their regular or specialized ministerial duties and are performed under the auspices or sponsorship of an established and legally cognizable church, denomination, or sect or an integrated auxiliary of a church as defined in federal tax regulations, paragraph (g)(5) of 26 C.F.R. 1.6033-2 (1995), and when the individual rendering the service remains accountable to the established authority of that church, denomination, sect, or integrated auxiliary;

(5) Any person employed in the civil service as defined in section 124.01 of the Revised Code while engaging in social work or professional counseling as a civil service employee;

(6) A student in an accredited educational institution while carrying out activities that are part of the student's prescribed course of study if the activities are supervised as required by the educational institution and if the student does not hold herself or himself out as a person licensed or registered under this chapter;

(7) Individuals with certification or credentials accepted by the department of alcohol and drug addiction services under section 3793.07 of the Revised Code who are acting within the scope of their certification or credentials as members of the profession of alcoholism counseling, drug abuse counseling, or chemical dependency counseling, or as alcoholism or drug abuse prevention consultants or specialists;

(8) Any person employed by the American red cross while engaging in activities relating to services for military families and veterans and disaster relief, as described in the "American National Red Cross Act," 33 Stat. 599 (1905), 36 U.S.C.A. 1, as amended;

(9) Members of labor organizations who hold union counselor certificates while performing services in their official capacity as union counselors;

(10) Any person employed in a hospital as defined in section 3727.01 of the Revised Code or in a nursing home as defined in section 3721.01 of the Revised Code while providing as a hospital employee or nursing home employee, respectively, social services other than counseling and the use of psychosocial interventions and social psychotherapy.

(B) Divisions (A)(5), (8), and (10) of this section do not prevent a person described in those divisions from obtaining a license or certificate of registration under this chapter.

(C) Division (C) of section 4757.02 of the Revised Code does not apply to a person licensed under division (A) of that section.

(D) Division (A) of section 4757.02 of the Revised Code does not apply to the practice of marriage and family therapy by a person licensed under division (C) of that section.

Sec. 4757.43.  Nothing in this chapter or the rules adopted under it shall be construed as authorizing a professional clinical counselor, professional counselor, independent marriage and family therapist, marriage and family therapist, independent social worker, social worker, or social work assistant to admit a patient to a hospital or as requiring a hospital to allow any of those individuals to admit a patient.

Sec. 4757.44.  For the purposes of section 2305.51 of the Revised Code a person who holds a license issued under this chapter is a mental health professional.

A license holder is not liable in damages in a civil action, and shall not be subject to disciplinary action by the counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist board, for disclosing any confidential information about a client that is disclosed for the purposes of section 2305.51 of the Revised Code.

Section 2.  That existing sections 125.22, 2151.421, 2317.02, 4757.01, 4757.02, 4757.03, 4757.04, 4757.05, 4757.06, 4757.07, 4757.10, 4757.11, 4757.12, 4757.15, 4757.16, 4757.17, 4757.18, 4757.19, 4757.22, 4757.23, 4757.27, 4757.28, 4757.29, 4757.31, 4757.32, 4757.33, 4757.34, 4757.36, 4757.38, 4757.41, and 4757.43 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.

Section 3.  Within ninety days after the effective date of this section, the Governor shall appoint the initial marriage and family therapist and independent marriage and family therapist members of the Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board, in accordance with section 4757.03 of the Revised Code, as amended by this act. Such an appointee is not required, at the time of appointment, to be licensed as a marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist. However, the appointee may remain a board member only if the appointee becomes licensed as a marriage and family therapist or independent marriage and family therapist, as appropriate for the member's appointment, within one year of the effective date of this section.