§ 74-5344 — Construction of act

Nothing contained in the licensure of psychologists act of the state of Kansas shall be construed: (a) To prevent qualified members of other professional groups such as, but not limited to, ministers, Christian Science practitioners, social workers and sociologists from doing work of a psychological nature consistent with their training and consistent with any code of ethics of their respective professions so long as they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description of services incorporating the words "psychologic," "psychological," "psychologist" or "psychology";
(b) in any way to restrict any person from carrying on any of the aforesaid activities in the free expression or exchange of ideas concerning the practice of psychology, the application of its principles, the teaching of such subject matter and the conducting of research on problems relating to human behavior if such person does not represent such person or such person's services in any manner prohibited by such act;
(c) to limit the practice of psychology of a licensed masters level psychologist or a person who holds a temporary license to practice as a licensed masters level psychologist, so long as such practice is under the direction of a licensed psychologist, licensed clinical psychotherapist, a person licensed by the state board of healing arts to practice medicine and surgery or a person licensed to provide mental health services as an independent practitioner and whose licensure allows for the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders or insofar as such person is engaged in public speaking with or without remuneration;
(d) to limit the practice of psychology or services of a student, intern or resident in psychology pursuing a degree in psychology in a school, college, university or other institution, with educational standards consistent with those of the state universities of Kansas if such practice or services are supervised as a part of such person's degree program. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as permitting such persons to offer their services as psychologists to any other person and to accept remuneration for such psychological services other than as specifically excepted herein, unless they have been licensed under the provisions of the licensure of psychologists act of the state of Kansas, registered under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-5361 through 74-5371, and amendments thereto, or granted a temporary license under the provisions of K.S.A. 74-5367, and amendments thereto;
(e) to prevent the employment, by a person, association, partnership or a corporation furnishing psychological services for remuneration, of persons licensed as psychologists under the provisions of the licensure of psychologists act of the state of Kansas;
(f) to restrict the use of tools, tests, instruments or techniques usually denominated "psychological," so long as the user does not represent oneself to be a licensed psychologist or a licensed masters level psychologist;
(g) to permit persons licensed as psychologists to engage in the practice of medicine as defined in the laws of this state, nor to require such licensed psychologists to comply with the Kansas healing arts act;
(h) to restrict the use of the term "social psychologist" by any person who has received a doctoral degree in sociology or social psychology from an institution whose credits in sociology or social psychology are acceptable by a school or college as defined in the licensure of psychologists act of the state of Kansas, and who has passed comprehensive examination in the field of social psychology as a part of the requirements for the doctoral degree or has had equivalent specialized training in social psychology;
(i) to restrict the practice of psychology by a person who is certified as a school psychologist by the state department of education so long as such practice is conducted as a part of the duties of employment by a unified school district or as part of an independent evaluation conducted in accordance with K.S.A. 72-3405, and amendments thereto, including the use of the term "school psychologist" by such person in conjunction with such practice; or
(j) to restrict the use of the term psychologist or the practice of psychology by psychologists not licensed under the licensure of psychologists act of the state of Kansas in institutions for people with intellectual disability, in a juvenile correctional facility, as defined in K.S.A. 38-2302, and amendments thereto, or in institutions within the department of corrections insofar as such term is used or such practice of psychology is performed solely in conjunction with such person's employment by any such institution or juvenile correctional facility.
(k) Any person not licensed as a psychologist but who immediately prior to the effective date of this act was engaged in the practice of psychology in accordance with subsection (e) as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of this act under the supervision of a licensed psychologist may continue on and after the effective date of this act to engage in such practice in the manner authorized by subsection (e) as it existed immediately prior to the effective date of this act.

Legislative History

L. 1967, ch. 432, § 44; L. 1980, ch. 242, § 28; L. 1986, ch. 299, § 40; L. 1987, ch. 306, § 12; L. 1988, ch. 304, § 10; L. 1997, ch. 142, § 8; L. 1997, ch. 142, § 9; L. 1999, ch. 108, § 6; L. 2003, ch. 72, § 4; L. 2004, ch. 19, § 1; L. 2006, ch. 169, § 120; L. 2012, ch. 91, § 57; L. 2019, ch. 55, § 22; May 9.