BILL ANALYSIS AB 1746 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 14, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 1746 (Emmerson) - As Introduced: February 8, 2010 Policy Committee: Business and Professions Vote: 11 - 0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill authorizes the California Architects Board (CAB) to accept self-certification of completed continuing education (CE) requirements for license renewals. Specifically, this bill: 1)Requires licensees to continue submitting specified documentation of completed CE requirements to CAB as a condition of license renewal until the conclusion of the license renewal cycle beginning January 1, 2011. 2)Requires a licensee to self-certify completed CE requirements to CAB, as a part of the license renewal process, beginning January 1, 2013. 3)Authorizes CAB to audit a licensee's records of CE provider completion, and requires CAB to audit at least three percent of license renewals received each year until January 1, 2015. 4)Requires a licensee to maintain CE records for a minimum of two years from the date of license renewal and to make the records available to CAB for an audit, upon request. 5)Requires a licensee who fails to complete the required CE coursework or provides false or misleading statements to pay a civil penalty not to exceed $5,000, and/or face license suspension or revocation. FISCAL EFFECT 1)Savings in excess of $400,000 (California Architects Board Fund) per year due to the removal of the requirement that CAB AB 1746 Page 2 certify the course work all of their licensees as a condition of licensure renewal. 2)On-going annual costs in excess of $100,000 (California Architects Board Fund) per year for auditing and enforcement activities. 3)Approximately $10,000 per year in increased fine revenue as a result of the three percent audit requirement. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . According to the author's office, "SB 1608 (Corbett), Chapter 549, Statutes of 2008, required California architects to take disability access CE as a condition of license renewal. In its brief life, the reporting requirements have been costly and burdensome for CAB to manage. Additionally, it delayed confirmation of license renewal for many architects renewing in 2009 who complied with CE requirements. This bill would change reporting requirements to a certification and audit model?and allow CAB to manage the CE requirements in a more effective and efficient manner." 2)Background . CAB establishes regulations for the examination and licensing of the profession of architecture in California, which today numbers approximately 22,000 licensed architects and approximately 11,000 candidates who are in the process of meeting examination and licensure requirements. 3)Related Legislation . SB 1608 (Corbett; Chapter 549, Statutes of 2008), required as a condition of license renewal, that an architect complete coursework regarding disability access requirements and certify to CAB completion of the coursework prior to their license renewal. Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916) 319-2081