(a) No person shall operate or provide services as a batterer intervention program unless such program has been certified as required by this section.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (i), any program desiring to be certified in Kansas as a batterer intervention program shall submit an application thereof to the attorney general. All completed applications for initial, renewal, or reinstatement certification shall be verified and on a form approved by the attorney general. The completed application shall include:

(1) The full name and resident address of the applicant;

(2) the name under which the applicant intends to do business and the business address;

(3) a statement as to the general nature of the business in which the applicant intends to engage;

(4) a statement of the educational and work experience of each individual, including any employee or agent of applicant, who will be directly providing intervention services to clients of a batterer intervention program;

(5) a statement that the applicant has complied with such other qualifications as may be established by the attorney general by rules and regulations;

(6) payment of the application fee; and

(7) such other information, evidence, statements or documents as may be required by the attorney general.

(c) If in evaluating an applicant’s application the attorney general finds any deficiency in the applicant’s qualifications, the attorney general may require such applicant to fulfill such remedial or other requirements as the attorney general may prescribe.

(d) Certification as a batterer intervention program shall expire on the second anniversary of the date of certification.

(e) Certification as a batterer intervention program may be renewed every two years upon submission of a completed renewal application to the attorney general on or before the expiration date of such certification, payment of the renewal fee and verification of continuing compliance with the requirements of the batterer intervention program certification act and the rules and regulations adopted thereunder by the attorney general.

(f) Any batterer intervention program that fails to secure a renewal certification within the time specified in subsection (e) may request reinstatement of such lapsed certification by submitting to the attorney general a completed application on a form approved by the attorney general, furnishing proof that the applicant is qualified to act as a certified batterer intervention program and satisfying all of the requirements for reinstatement including payment of a reinstatement fee to the attorney general.

(g) The attorney general may issue a temporary permit to act as a certified batterer intervention program for a period not to exceed 180 days to an applicant requesting initial certification if the attorney general determines the applicant qualifies under subsections (b) and (c), except for program requirements regarding agency structure, personnel qualifications, education requirements or training requirements established in rules and regulations, and such deficiencies can be remedied within such time period. The temporary permit shall expire upon the applicant meeting all of the program requirements and the applicant’s program being certified as required by this section, or upon the expiration date of the temporary permit, whichever occurs first.

(h) No certification as a batterer intervention program or temporary permit to act as a certified batterer intervention program shall be assignable or transferable.

(i) A batterer intervention program may be exempted from the initial application for certification as a certified batterer intervention program if such program had been previously certified or certified by the attorney general as a batterer intervention program on the day preceding the effective date of the batterer intervention program certification act.

(j) (1) Except as provided further, the program director, program supervisor or program coordinator of any batterer intervention program shall be licensed to practice in Kansas as a licensed psychologist, licensed baccalaureate social worker, licensed master social worker, licensed specialist clinical social worker, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical marriage and family therapist, licensed addiction counselor, licensed clinical addiction counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed clinical professional counselor, licensed masters level psychologist or licensed clinical psychotherapist.

(2) Any person not licensed as required in subsection (j)(1) who is a program director, program supervisor or program coordinator immediately prior to January 1, 2013, may continue to be a program director, program supervisor or program coordinator on and after January 1, 2013, if such person remains employed or contracted by the same program, and such program remains a certified batterer intervention program. When such person is no longer employed or contracted by the program in which they were a program director, program supervisor or program coordinator immediately prior to January 1, 2013, such person shall not be a program director, program supervisor or program coordinator for any certified batterer intervention program without meeting the license requirements prescribed in subsection (j)(1).