BILL ANALYSIS
SB 549
Page 1
SENATE THIRD READING
SB 549 (Correa)
As Amended August 20, 2009
Majority vote
SENATE VOTE :23-11
BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS 7-2 APPROPRIATIONS
10-5
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|Ayes:|Hayashi, Eng, Hernandez, |Ayes:|De Leon, Ammiano, Coto, |
| |Nava, | |Davis, Fuentes, Hall, |
| |John A. Perez, Ruskin, | |John A. Perez, Skinner, |
| |Hill | |Solorio, Torlakson |
| | | | |
|-----+--------------------------+-----+--------------------------|
|Nays:|Emmerson, Smyth |Nays:|Nielsen, Duvall, Harkey, |
| | | |Miller, Audra Strickland |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Authorizes the Board of Barbering and Cosmetology
(Board) to collect gender, language and ethnicity data from new
licensure applicants and renewal licenses and requires that the
information be posted on the Board's Internet Web site.
Specifically, this bill :
1)States legislative intent for the Board to collect information
on gender, language preference, and ethnicity of all licensees,
including establishment licensees, in order to help ensure that
appropriate health and safety information is effectively
provided to affected licensees.
2)Permits applicants for licensure and licensees of the Board to
report, in their initial application for a license and in
license renewal forms, information regarding the applicant's or
licensee's gender, language preference, or ethnicity.
3)Permits applicants for an establishment license and
establishment licensees to report to the Board, in his or her
initial application for a license and in license renewal forms,
that information regarding the applicant's and licensee's
gender, language preference, and ethnicity.
4)Requires the Board to collect the information reported pursuant
to this bill, compile it quarterly and post it on the Board's
SB 549
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Internet Web site.
5)Requires the Board to keep gender, language preference and
ethnicity information collected from applicants and licensees
confidential and only post on their Internet Web site that
information collected in a manner that does not identify
individual applicants and licensees.
6)Requires the Board to state in an initial application for
licensure or in a form for license renewal, in a conspicuous
manner, that reporting information regarding gender, language
preference, and ethnicity is voluntary, is not a condition of
licensure or license renewal, and that no adverse action will be
taken against any applicant or licensee that does not report
this information.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Licenses and regulates persons engaged in the practice of
barbering and cosmetology by the Board.
2)Requires an establishment in which barbering and cosmetology is
practiced to be licensed by the Board.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Assembly Appropriations Committee
analysis, one time special fund costs of less than $50,000 to
update databases, applications, and renewal forms. On-going
special fund costs would likely be less than $10,000 per year.
All costs would be absorbable within existing resources.
COMMENTS : According to the author's office, "Current data on
language and ethnicity is insufficient in the beauty industry.
Most nail salon owner and workers, for example, often cite
language barrier as the most common barrier they face when
accessing workplace health and safety information. In California
alone, there are over 114,000 licensed nail technicians and more
than 260,000 licensed cosmetologists. Estimates of Vietnamese
nail technicians in California vary widely from 40% to 80%, and
many are limited-English-proficient (LEP).
"Nail salon workers and other beauty industry technicians are
exposed to a wide array of occupational hazards. The lack of
access to health and safety information in a language workers and
owners can understand exacerbates occupational health hazards.
Knowing the ethnicity and sex breakdown of the nail salon and
beauty profession is critical to understanding occupational health
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hazards. Disease risk often varies across sex and ethnic groups,
and such information is necessary to understanding whether
workplace exposure is linked to any disease and thus informs
intervention efforts to promote worker health and safety.
"Language preference is not known for this worker population, and
as a result, information may not be communicated in a language
workers understand. The language and ethnicity data will enable
BBC to effectively communicate with the limited English proficient
licensee population. The Board will be able to identify language
needs, conduct culturally competent outreach, and develop
effective policy that will better serve the community."
Analysis Prepared by : Rebecca May / B. & P. / (916) 319-3301
FN: 0002166