BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AB 1057
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 1057 (Medina)
          As Amended  June 3, 2013
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |77-0 |(April 29,      |SENATE: |39-0 |(August 26,    |
          |           |     |2013)           |        |     |2013)          |
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           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
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            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
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           Analysis Prepared by  :    Elissa Silva / B.,P. & C.P. / (916)  
          319-3301 


          FN:  
          0001338