BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 2486
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Date of Hearing: May 18, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
AB
2486 (Baker) - As Amended April 25, 2016
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|Policy |Business and Professions |Vote:|16 - 0 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: NoReimbursable: No
SUMMARY:
This bill requires the Contractors' State License Board (Board),
by January 1, 2019, to update its website to allow consumers to
search for a licensed contractor by zip code or geographic
locator.
FISCAL EFFECT:
The Board indicates minor and absorbable costs of approximately
$90,000 (special fund) for two internal IT staff to complete the
custom programming changes to the Board's IT system and website.
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Alternatively, the Board could use one IT consultant at a cost
of approximately $100,000 (special fund). The Board estimates
the work would take four to six months under either scenario.
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "This bill will help combat
the use of unlicensed contractors operating in the
multi-billion dollar underground economy and will help further
the Board's mission of consumer protection by making it easier
for consumers to get information about licensed contractors in
their area. This bill also will support the Board's 2015-
2016 Strategic Plan recommendation to develop ways to make
their website more user-friendly by providing a search by
location function."
2)Background. The Board is the regulatory entity responsible for
licensing contractors and enforcing the Contractors State
License Law. Board licenses approximately 290,000 contractors
in 44 license classifications and two certifications.
California requires licensed contractors to be used on any
construction project that costs more than five hundred
dollars. The Board currently collects information about its
licensees that it publishes to its website.
Currently, the Board's website permits a consumer to search
for a contractor by personal name, business name, or license
number. The Board's 2015-2016 Strategic Plan outlines a goal
to add a licensee search feature to the Board's website,
similar to the feature proposed by this bill. The Board
planned to have a schedule adopted by February of 2016, for
the implementation of an opt-in "Find a Contractor" feature to
help consumers locate nearby licensees. The project is still
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outstanding.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081