BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1904
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1904 (Block, et al.)
As Introduced February 22, 2012
Majority vote
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 9-0 APPROPRIATIONS 17-0
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|Ayes:|Hayashi, Bill Berryhill, |Ayes:|Fuentes, Harkey, |
| |Allen, Butler, Eng, | |Blumenfield, Bradford, |
| |Hagman, Hill, Ma, Smyth | |Charles Calderon, Campos, |
| | | |Davis, Donnelly, Gatto, |
| | | |Ammiano, Hill, Lara, |
| | | |Mitchell, Nielsen, Norby, |
| | | |Solorio, Wagner |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes a board under the Department of Consumer
Affairs (DCA) to issue a temporary license to the spouse or
domestic partner of a military member on active duty.
Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes a board under DCA to issue a temporary license to
the spouse or domestic partner of a military member on active
duty if the applicant meets all the following conditions:
a) Submits the required application, fees, and fingerprints
to the board;
b) Provides satisfactory proof that the applicant is the
spouse or domestic partner of an active duty member of the
United States (U.S.) Armed Forces, as specified;
c) Holds a current license in another U.S. state, district,
or territory, and the board determines that those licensure
requirements are substantially equivalent to state
requirements;
d) Has not committed an act that constitutes grounds for
license denial, suspension, or revocation, as specified;
and,
e) Has not been disciplined, nor is the subject of an
unresolved complaint, review procedure, or disciplinary
AB 1904
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action by a licensing entity in another jurisdiction.
2)Authorizes the board to adopt regulations necessary to
administer the provisions of this bill.
3)Requires a board to expedite the issuance of a temporary
license under this bill.
4)Provides that the temporary license shall be valid for 180
days, and allows the board, at its discretion, to extend the
temporary license for an additional 180 days.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee:
1)Should DCA create a temporary license for military spouses and
domestic partners, one-time costs would likely exceed $150,000
(various special funds) due to workload associated with
automation systems changes and the modification and creation
of new application forms.
2)On-going workload would be minor and absorbable.
COMMENTS : The U.S. Department of Treasury (U.S. Treasury) and
the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) issued a joint report to
highlight the impact of state occupational licensing
requirements on the careers of military spouses, who frequently
move across state lines. Released in February 2012, the report,
"Supporting our Military Families: Best Practices for
Streamlining Occupational Licensing Across State Lines" revealed
that approximately 35% of military spouses work in professions
that require state licenses or certification and that military
spouses are ten times more likely to have moved to another state
in the last year compared to their civilian counterparts.
The report highlighted the employment status of military spouses
and the correlation to their spouse's decision to remain active
in the military: "More than half of all active duty military
personnel are married, and 91% of employed military spouses
indicated that they wanted to work and/or needed to work? Not
only are military spouses highly influential regarding
re-enlistment decisions, but more than two-thirds of married
service members reported that their decision to re-enlist was
largely or moderately affected by their spouses' career
AB 1904
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prospects?"
In a 2008 Defense Manpower Data Center survey of active duty
military spouses, participants were asked what would have helped
them with their employment search after their last military
move. Nearly 40% of those respondents who have moved indicated
that 'easier state-to-state transfer of certification' would
have helped them.
As a result of the survey, the U.S. Treasury and DOD issued
several recommendations, including the authorization of
temporary licenses for military spouses if the applicant met
state requirements. The report's recommendation specified that
"temporary licenses allow applicants to be employed while they
fulfill all of the requirements for a permanent license,
including examinations or endorsement, applications and
additional fees. In developing expedited approaches that save
military spouses time and money, DOD does not want to make
licensure easier for military spouses to achieve at the expense
of degrading their perceived value in their profession."
Analysis Prepared by : Joanna Gin / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0003922