§34-5A-2. License requirements.

(a) The unlicensed practice of behavior analysis is prohibited in this state, unless exempted in subsection (c).

(b) No person shall hold himself or herself out to be a licensed behavior analyst or licensed assistant behavior analyst unless he or she satisfies the applicable requirements of this chapter.

(c) This chapter may not be construed as prohibiting or restricting the practice of any of the following:

(1) An individual authorized to practice psychology within the state.

(2) An applied behavior analysis direct contact technician, or family member implementing a behavior analysis plan within the home or other environment in which the person is located, who acts under the extended authority and direction of a licensed behavior analyst or a licensed assistant behavior analyst.

(3) A behavior analyst who practices with nonhuman or nonpatient clients or consumers including, but not limited to, applied animal behaviorists and practitioners of organizational behavior management.

(4) A licensed physician who is practicing medicine.

(5) A licensed professional authorized to practice in the state who is not a behavior analyst, so long as the licensed professional does not represent that he or she is a behavior analyst, and so long as the services of the licensed professional are within the scope of practice of the licensing law governing the licensed professional and the services performed are commensurate with the education, training, and experience of the licensed professional.

(6) A matriculated graduate student or postdoctoral fellow whose activities are part of a defined behavior analysis program of study, practicum, or intensive practicum, provided that the practice under this exemption is directly supervised by a licensed behavior analyst in this state or an instructor in a course sequence approved by the certifying entity.

(7) An unlicensed individual pursuing experience in behavior analysis consistent with the experience requirements of the certifying entity, provided such experience is supervised by a licensed behavior analyst in this state.

(d) A violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) or the suspension or revocation of a license issued pursuant to this chapter, or both fine and loss of licensure.

(Act 2014-163, §2.)