BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2692
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 12, 2010

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                Felipe Fuentes, Chair

             AB 2692 (Tran and V. Manuel Perez) - As Amended:  April 28,  
                                        2010 

          Policy Committee:                              Jobs, Econ.  
          Development & the Economy                     Vote: 6 - 0 

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              

           SUMMARY  

          This bill finds and declares that the California Small Business  
          Board (CSBB) focus on the impact of state regulations on small  
          businesses. Specifically, this bill finds and declares: 

          1)The board shall focus on the impact of licensing and  
            permitting regulations on small businesses.

          2)The board shall report a summary of its findings and  
            recommendations to the governor, Small Business Advocate, and  
            the Legislature on July 1, 2011, July 1, 2012, and December  
            31, 2012. 

          3)The report shall include sufficient detail for the governor  
            and the Legislature to take concrete steps to streamline and  
            mitigate the impacts of the state's current regulations in  
            order to better support small businesses. 

          4)Sunsets the provisions of the bill on January 1, 2013. 

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Because the CSBB is made up primarily of private, small business  
          owners they do not have the capacity or the staffing necessary  
          to undertake a significant study of the state's small business  
          regulatory process or produce the required report. Hiring a  
          private consultant or the required staff to undertake the  
          project would likely cost between $300,000 and $500,000 GF.  

           COMMENTS  








                                                                  AB 2692
                                                                  Page  2


           1)Purpose  . The intent of this legislation is to require the  
            Small Business Board to undertake a study of whether or not  
            state licensing and permitting is a significant barrier for  
            small businesses either currently operating in California or  
            wanting to operate in California. 

           2)The California Small Business Board  . The 10-member voluntary  
            board made up of the Business Transportation and Housing  
            Secretary, two members of the Legislature and seven private,  
            small business owners was created to advise the governor, the  
            director of the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, and the  
            state's Small Business Advocate regarding issues and programs  
            affecting California's small business community. This  
            includes, but is not limited to, issues concerning business  
            innovation and expansion, export financing, state procurement  
            and management, venture capital, and financial assistance. As  
            noted above, there is no state staff dedicated to the board.

           3)Related Legislation  . In 2008, AB 2416 (Fuentes) would have  
            expanded the role of the California Small Business Board  
            (CSBB) to require them to examine and advise on new  
            "innovative" financial products. That bill was held on this  
            committee's Suspense File. 

           Analysis Prepared by  :    Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081