BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  SB 1244
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   July 2, 2014

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  Mike Gatto, Chair

                     SB 1244 (Lieu) - As Amended:  June 11, 2014 

          Policy Committee:                             Environmental  
          Safety and Toxic Materials                    Vote:  6 - 0 
                       Business and Professions               11 - 0

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:              


           SUMMARY  

          This bill extends the sunset date on the Structural Pest Control  
          Board (SPCB) and the term of its executive officer from January  
          1, 2015 to January 1, 2019, and makes numerous technical,  
          clarifying, and non-substantive changes to the Structural Pest  
          Control Law.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          1)On-going Special Fund costs of approximately $4.85 million  
            annually (Structural Pest Control Fund, Structural Pest  
            Control Education and Enforcement Fund), supporting 29.9 PY  
            until January 1, 2019, partially offset by fee revenues of  
            $4.24 million, based on the 2014-15 budget.

          2)AB 1685 (Williams), pending on the Senate Floor, would raise  
            the maximum fees that the SPCB could charge for licensure  
            examinations. The increased fees are intended to provide  
            sufficient resources to implement computer based testing and  
            allow the SPCB to set the fees at a level sufficient to cover  
            the reasonable costs of administering licensing exams.  It is  
            unclear whether the increased fee authority, if enacted, would  
            provide sufficient resources to address the operating  
            deficiencies in the Structural Pest Control Fund.

          3)Minor and absorbable costs to the Department of Consumer  
            Affairs (DCA) to extend the operations of the SPCB and its  
            executive director, and make numerous technical, clarifying,  
            and non-substantive changes to the Structural Pest Control  








                                                                  SB 1244
                                                                  Page  2

            Act.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Purpose  . In March 2014, the Senate Business Professions and  
            Economic Development Committee and the Assembly Business,  
            Professions and Consumer Protection Committee conducted joint  
            oversight hearings to review nine regulatory entities,  
            including the Structural Pest Control Board. 

            This bill reflects technical and non-controversial changes to  
            the Structural Pest Control Law recommended by SPCB and the  
            Committees, as well as the extension of SPCB's regulatory  
            authority for another four years.

           2)The Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB)  .  Existing law  
            established the SPCB within the Department of Consumer Affairs  
            for the licensing and regulation of structural pest control  
            applicators, field representatives and operators, and  
            structural pest control companies, and repeals the SPCB on  
            January 1, 2015. The SPCB issues three types of licenses for  
            three different practice areas (branches) of pest control:  
            applicator, field representative, and operator.  As of the FY  
            2012/2013 year, the licensee population included 5,051  
            Applicators, 10,549 Field Representatives, and 3,601  
            Operators.  Each license has its own scope of practice,  
            entry-level requirements, and education/examination  
            requirements, with some overlap.   

           3)Related Legislation  . 

             a)   This bill is one of six bills introduced this session to  
               extend the sunset on licensing boards within the Department  
               of Consumer Affairs - including SB 1242 (Lieu), and SB 1245  
               (Lieu), which are before this committee today and SB 1243  
               (Lieu), SB 1246 (Lieu), and SB 1247 (Lieu) which are  
               pending a hearing in this committee.
          
             b)   AB 1685 (Williams), pending on the Senate Floor, would  
               raise the maximum fees that the SPCB could charge for  
               licensure examinations. 


           Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer Swenson / APPR. / (916)  
          319-2081 








                                                                  SB 1244
                                                                  Page  3