BILL ANALYSIS Ó AB 1057 Page 1 CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS AB 1057 (Medina) As Amended June 3, 2013 Majority vote ----------------------------------------------------------------- |ASSEMBLY: |77-0 |(April 29, |SENATE: |39-0 |(August 26, | | | |2013) | | |2013) | ----------------------------------------------------------------- Original Committee Reference: B.,P. & C.P SUMMARY : Requires every licensing board under the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to inquire in every license application if the applicant is serving in, or has previously served in, the military, commencing January 1, 2015. The Senate amendments clarify that beginning on January 1, 2015, each board shall inquire in every application for licensure if the individual applying for licensure is serving in, or has previously served in the military. EXISTING LAW : 1)Requires licensing boards under DCA to promulgate regulations to evaluate and credit military education, training, and experience in meeting licensure requirements, if the military education, training, and experience are applicable to the profession. (Business and Professions Code (BPC) Section 35) 2)Authorizes a licensee whose license expired while serving on active military duty, to reinstate his or her license without examination or penalty upon meeting specified conditions. (BPC Section 114) 3)Requires a licensing board under DCA to waive the license renewal fees, continuing education (CE) requirements, and other license renewal requirements for a licensee called to active duty and who will not perform licensed activities while on active duty. (BPC Section 114.3) 4)Requires, by July 1, 2015, the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, using common course descriptors and pertinent recommendations of the American Council on AB 1057 Page 2 Education, to determine which courses should grant credit for prior military experience. (Education Code Section 66025.7) FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs. COMMENTS : This bill would require every licensing board under DCA to affirmatively inquire in every license application if the applicant is serving in, or has previously served in, the military, in order to better identify and assist active military members and veterans applying for professional licensure. That requirement would become operational on January 1, 2015. DCA currently oversees 36 licensing programs that issue more than two million licenses, registrations, and certifications in approximately 200 professional categories. Existing law requires licensing boards under DCA to promulgate regulations to evaluate military education, training and experience and specify how applicants may meet licensure requirements if their military education and experience is comparable to the boards' license qualification standards. Despite existing provisions under the BPC that facilitate the licensure of veterans and active military members, the majority of license applications do not ask applicants if they serve or have previously served in the military. This means that some applicants must proactively inform the appropriate licensing board if he or she is an active military member who may be exempt from license renewal fees or CE requirements, or a veteran eligible to apply military credit towards initial licensure, as provided for under existing law. In addition, DCA's licensing programs do not currently track licensure approvals or denials of applicants with military service. Given the recent amount of attention devoted to assisting military families and veterans with obtaining professional licensure, it would be helpful for DCA to gather accurate data on how many applicants serve, or have served, in the military in order to better assist those applicants. This bill would not impact veterans who have already obtained initial licensure. The information collected by this bill will assist licensing boards in identifying applicants who may be eligible for streamlined licensure and permit DCA to compile data on the number of military applicants it serves. AB 1057 Page 3 Analysis Prepared by : Elissa Silva / B.,P. & C.P. / (916) 319-3301 FN: 0001338