BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 1479
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Date of Hearing: June 29, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 1479
(Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development) -
As Introduced March 10, 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 makes several non-controversial, minor,
non-substantive or technical changes to various provisions
within the Business and Professions Code (BPC) relating to the
non-healing arts regulatory entities under the Department of
Consumer Affairs (DCA).
FISCAL EFFECT:
Negligible state fiscal impact.
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COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. This bill is one of two 'committee bills' authored
by the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic
Development and is intended to consolidate a number of
non-controversial provisions related to various regulatory
programs and professions governed by the BPC. Consolidating
the provisions in one bill is designed to relieve the various
licensing boards, bureaus, professions, and other regulatory
agencies from the necessity and burden of having separate
measures for a number of non-controversial revisions.
2)Background. This bill is the annual non-health omnibus bill
and makes changes to five boards under the DCA and to the
California Tourism Marketing Act.
a) Board of Accountancy. Existing law requires an
applicant for a license as a certified public accountant to
take a specified number of ethics study courses and
specifies the terms that must appear in the course title,
for example "Business law," "Professional
responsibilities," and "Fraud." However, course titles may
not always be reflective of the subject of the course. This
bill changes the requirement to allow an applicant to take
a course with any title relating to Business law rather
than limiting the applicant to a class titled "Business
Law."
b) California Architects Board (CAB). Existing law
authorizes the CAB to allow student architects to sit for
SB 1479
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the exam early under certain circumstances. However, the
current language references the obsolete "Additional Path
to Architectural Licensing." The amendment is intended to
reflect new terminology regarding this option.
c) Contractors' State License Board (CSLB). Existing law
specifies several conditions that void an application.
This bill deletes obsolete conditions relating to exam
scheduling. This change will benefit applicants whose
applications would otherwise become inappropriately void.
d) Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and
Geologists (BPELSG). Existing law authorizes the BPELSG to
establish the timing, location, methods, and procedures of
the geologist licensing exam. In addition, for
professional engineers and land surveyors, the BPELSG has
authorization to make arrangements with other organizations
to conduct the examination and to contract for materials or
services related to the examination. This bill makes that
section of the practice acts between the three professions
consistent. This change is one of many changes suggested
by the BPELSG. The remaining changes suggested by the
BPELSG are contained in SB 1165 (Canella) of the current
Legislative Session.
e) California Tourism Marketing Act. In addition, this bill
deletes an obsolete reference to "secretary" in the intent
language of the California Tourism Marketing Act and
replaces it with "director".
1)Current Legislation.
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a) SB 1478 (Hill), also before this Committee today, makes
several non-controversial, minor, non-substantive or
technical changes to various provisions within the BPC
relating to the healing arts regulatory entities under the
DCA.
b) SB 1165 (Canella), also before this Committee today,
makes multiple changes to increase consistency between the
practice acts administered by the BPELSG.
1)Prior Legislation. AB 181 (Bonilla), Chapter 430, Statutes of
2015, was a sunset bill for the Board of Barbering and
Cosmetology but was amended to add the provisions of the 2015
non-healing arts omnibus bill.
Analysis Prepared by:Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916) 319-2081