California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2701

Introduced by Assembly Member Jones

February 19, 2016

An act to amend Section 453 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2701, as introduced, Jones. Department of Consumer Affairs: boards: training requirements.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by various boards, as defined, within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and provides for the membership of those various boards. Existing law requires newly appointed board members, within one year of assuming office, to complete a training and orientation offered by the department regarding, among other things, the obligations of the board member. Existing law requires the department to adopt regulations necessary to establish the training and orientation program and its contents.

The Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Bagley-Keene Act) generally requires, with specified exceptions for authorized closed sessions, that the meetings of state bodies be open and public and that all persons be permitted to attend. The Administrative Procedure Act governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies, and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law requires every agency to adopt and promulgate a Conflict of Interest Code that contains, among other requirements, the circumstances under which designated employees or categories of designated employees must disqualify themselves from making, participating in the making, or using their official position to influence the making of, any decision.

This bill would additionally require the training of new board members to include, but not be limited to, information regarding the requirements of the Bagley-Keene Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, the Office of Administrative Law, and the department’s Conflict of Interest Code.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 453 of the Business and Professions Code
is amended to read:

453.  

Every newly appointed board member shall, within one
year of assuming office, complete a training and orientation
program offered by the department regarding, among other things,
his or her functions, responsibilities, and obligations as a member
of a board. begin insert This training shall include, but is not limited to,
information about the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act (Article 9
(commencing with Section 11120) of Chapter 1 of Part 1 of
Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the Administrative
Procedure end insert begin insert Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of
Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), the Office
of Administrative Law, and the department’s Conflict of Interest
Code, as required pursuant to Section 87300 of the Government
Code. end insert The department shall adopt regulations necessary to establish
this training and orientation program and its content.