BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 1685
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
AB 1685 (Williams)
As Amended April 21, 2014
Majority vote
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 14-0 APPROPRIATIONS 16-0
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|Ayes:|Bonilla, Jones, |Ayes:|Gatto, Bigelow, |
| |Bocanegra, Campos, | |Bocanegra, Bradford, Ian |
| |Dickinson, Eggman, | |Calderon, Campos, Eggman, |
| |Gordon, Hagman, Holden, | |Gomez, Holden, Jones, |
| |Maienschein, Mullin, | |Linder, Pan, Quirk, |
| |Skinner, Ting, Wilk | |Ridley-Thomas, Wagner, |
| | | |Weber |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Increases the statutory maximum for licensure
examination fees charged by the Structural Pest Control Board
(Board). Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes a registered structural pest control company to
provide by electronic mail, if an electronic mailing address
has been provided, a written notice to the owner or owner's
agent, and the tenant of the premises where pest control work
is to be done.
2)Removes the $15 cap on the applicator's examination fee, and
instead authorizes the Board to charge a fee in an amount
sufficient to cover the reasonable regulatory cost of
administering the examination, as specified.
3)Increases the maximum licensure examination fees as follows:
a) Operator examination fees from $25 to $100;
b) Field Representative examination fees from $15 to $75;
and,
c) Applicator examination fees from $15 to $60.
4)Removes the $50 cap on examination fees in cases where the
exam is taken during the course of license renewal, and
AB 1685
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instead authorizes the Board to charge an examination fee
amount sufficient to cover the reasonable regulatory cost of
administering each exam.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations
Committee, minor special fund revenue increase to the Board.
COMMENTS :
1)AB 1685 would increase the statutory maximums on certain
examination fees charged by the Board to support the
transition to computer based testing (CBT). CBT is
anticipated to significantly reduce the risks of cheating and
simplify test validation, scheduling, and monitoring for Board
staff and examinees. This bill is sponsored by the Pest
Control Operators of California.
2)According to the author's office, "There are currently 17 CBT
sites proposed in the State of California and 22 sites in
other states. The Board currently only has two examination
sites. As such, CBT is an obvious improvement in testing
availability and efficacy, particularly for out-of-state
candidates who will save on costs associated with airfare and
other travel to California to take an examination. This bill
increases the existing examination fees for each license type
which are currently capped at $25 and haven't been increased
in more than 50 years."
3)The proposed fee cap increases are intended to allow the Board
to raise the money necessary to modernize testing
methodologies from its current written examination and more
efficiently offer the tests required to become a licensed
operator in California. If this bill were enacted, the Board
would finalize a cost analysis and then promulgate regulations
to support the Board's fully loaded costs to administer the
examination program. The Board has already started a CBT
pilot program with two testing sites and is currently
absorbing the additional CBT examination cost.
According to the Board, the current cost to administer each
examination is $37.50 under a Department of Consumer Affairs
contract with an outside CBT vendor. The Board anticipates
increasing the examination fees by roughly $40 per licensure
category to cover the actual costs of administering the
AB 1685
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examination. The Board anticipates this moderate increase in
fees will have a minimal impact on licensees. The proposed
examination fee increases by the Board would raise the
operator examination fee cap from $25 to $65; the field
representative examination fee from $15 to $50; and the
applicator examination fee from $15 to $55.
This bill would also remove the $50 cap on examination fees in
cases where a renewing licensee opts to retake the examination
in order to demonstrate his or her knowledge of developments
in the field of pest control in lieu of submitting proof of
completion of required continuing education.
4)AB 1685 would also change the way in which notice is delivered
for pest control work by including electronic mail as an
additional method of delivery, if an electronic mail address
was provided. Currently, notice may be mailed, posted or
personally delivered.
To ensure that the "conspicuous" requirement of notice is
satisfied, notice by default will be delivered for pest
control work by first class mail, and sent as electronic mail
only at the customer's request.
Analysis Prepared by : Eunie Linden / B., P. & C.P. / (916)
319-3301
FN: 0003284