BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1588 Page 1 Date of Hearing: March 28, 2012 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 1588 (Atkins) - As Amended: March 5, 2012 Policy Committee: Business and Professions Vote: 8 - 0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill requires all licensing boards, commissions, and bureaus to waive renewal fees and continuing education requirements for United States Military Reservists or California National Guard (CNG) members who are called to active duty. FISCAL EFFECT Unknown, potentially significant revenue loss, in excess of 150,000 per year, in licensing revenue (various special funds). The majority of programs under the Department of Consumer Affairs do not track whether a licensee is a reservist member. Of those that do, approximately one-third to one-half of one percent of licensees fall under that category. Assuming that percentage across all the various licensing categories and in the unlikely event that half of those reservists were called to active duty at the same time, it would result in an annual revenue loss of up to $500,000. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . This bill allows members of the military reserve or National Guard to maintain any professional licenses they may have that are set to expire while that person is on active duty. As such, all fees and all continuing education requirements necessary to maintain that license would be waived. The author argues that military professionals should not be expected to pay to renew or fulfill continuing education requirements for a professional license they cannot use during their service period. In addition, they should not be penalized for their military service by allowing their AB 1588 Page 2 professional license to fall into delinquency during their service period. 2)Current Law . Existing law authorizes members of the CNG or the U.S. Armed Forces to reinstate his or her professional license or registration without examination or penalty if their license expired while the licensee or registrant was on active duty. Any licensee or registrant who continues to practice the profession for which he or she is licensed or registered for, either part-time or full-time, must maintain an active license in good standing, even while serving in the military. Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916) 319-2081