AB537,46 Section 46 . Subchapter II of chapter 455 [precedes 455.50] of the statutes is created to read:

AB537,16,12 chapter 455

AB537,16,13 Subchapter II

AB537,16,15 PSYCHOLOGY INTERJURISDICTIONAL COMPACT (PSYPACT)

AB537,16,16 455.50 Psychology interjurisdictional compact. (1) Article I — Purpose.

AB537,16,19 Whereas, states license psychologists, in order to protect the public through verification of education, training and experience and ensure accountability for professional practice; and

AB537,16,23 Whereas, this compact is intended to regulate the day to day practice of telepsychology (i.e. the provision of psychological services using telecommunication technologies) by psychologists across state boundaries in the performance of their psychological practice as assigned by an appropriate authority; and

AB537,17,2 Whereas, this compact is intended to regulate the temporary in-person, face-to-face practice of psychology by psychologists across state boundaries for 30 days within a calendar year in the performance of their psychological practice as assigned by an appropriate authority;

AB537,17,5 Whereas, this compact is intended to authorize state psychology regulatory authorities to afford legal recognition, in a manner consistent with the terms of the compact, to psychologists licensed in another state;

AB537,17,9 Whereas, this compact recognizes that states have a vested interest in protecting the public's health and safety through their licensing and regulation of psychologists and that such state regulation will best protect public health and safety;

AB537,17,11 Whereas, this compact does not apply when a psychologist is licensed in both the home and receiving states; and

AB537,17,13 Whereas, this compact does not apply to permanent in-person, face-to-face practice, it does allow for authorization of temporary psychological practice.

AB537,17,15 Consistent with these principles, this compact is designed to achieve the following purposes and objectives:

AB537,17,19 (a) Increase public access to professional psychological services by allowing for telepsychological practice across state lines as well as temporary in-person, face-to-face services into a state which the psychologist is not licensed to practice psychology;

AB537,17,21 (b) Enhance the states' ability to protect the public's health and safety, especially client/patient safety;

AB537,17,23 (c) Encourage the cooperation of compact states in the areas of psychology licensure and regulation;

AB537,17,25 (d) Facilitate the exchange of information between compact states regarding psychologist licensure, adverse actions and disciplinary history;

AB537,18,2 (e) Promote compliance with the laws governing psychological practice in each compact state; and

AB537,18,4 (f) Invest all compact states with the authority to hold licensed psychologists accountable through the mutual recognition of compact state licenses.

AB537,18,8 (2) Article II — Definitions. (a) “Adverse action" means: Any action taken by a state psychology regulatory authority which finds a violation of a statute or regulation that is identified by the state psychology regulatory authority as discipline and is a matter of public record.

AB537,18,12 (am) “Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB)" means: the recognized membership organization composed of state and provincial psychology regulatory authorities responsible for the licensure and registration of psychologists throughout the United States and Canada.

AB537,18,15 (b) “Authority to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology" means: a licensed psychologist's authority to practice telepsychology, within the limits authorized under this compact, in another compact state.

AB537,18,18 (bm) “Bylaws" means: those bylaws established by the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact Commission pursuant to sub. (10) for its governance, or for directing and controlling its actions and conduct.

AB537,18,21 (c) “Client/patient" means: the recipient of psychological services, whether psychological services are delivered in the context of healthcare, corporate, supervision, and/or consulting services.

AB537,18,23 (cm) “Commissioner" means: the voting representative appointed by each state psychology regulatory authority pursuant to sub. (10).

AB537,19,3 (d) “Compact state" means: a state, the District of Columbia, or United States territory that has enacted this compact legislation and which has not withdrawn pursuant to sub. (13) (c) or been terminated pursuant to sub. (12) (b).

AB537,19,8 (dm) “Coordinated licensure information system" also referred to as “coordinated database" means: an integrated process for collecting, storing, and sharing information on psychologists' licensure and enforcement activities related to psychology licensure laws, which is administered by the recognized membership organization composed of state and provincial psychology regulatory authorities.

AB537,19,10 (e) “Confidentiality" means: the principle that data or information is not made available or disclosed to unauthorized persons and/or processes.

AB537,19,11 (em) “Day" means: any part of a day in which psychological work is performed.