BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �




                   Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
                            Senator Kevin de Le�n, Chair


          SB 1246 (Lieu) - The Acupuncture Board.
          
          Amended: April 23, 2014         Policy Vote: B&P 9-0
          Urgency: No                     Mandate: No
          Hearing Date: May 12, 2014      Consultant: Brendan McCarthy
          
          This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File.
          
          
          Bill Summary: SB 1246 would extend the statutory sunset of the  
          California Acupuncture Board until January 1, 2016. The bill  
          would also make several changes to the Board's regulatory  
          authority and operations.

          Fiscal Impact: 
              Ongoing costs of about $3.2 million per year to support the  
              California Acupuncture Board's licensing activities,  
              supported by licensing fees (Acupuncture Fund).

              Minor reduction in costs and revenues after January 1, 2017  
              due to the elimination of the Board's authority to approve  
              educational programs (Acupuncture Fund).

              Unknown increase in licensing costs (and fee revenues) due  
              to increased applications for licensure (Acupuncture Fund).  
              By changing the process for accrediting schools by the  
              Board, it is possible that an increased number of  
              individuals would meet the state's licensing requirement to  
              have graduated from an accredited school. This could  
              increase the number of applicants for licensure.

          Background: Under current law, the California Acupuncture Board  
          licenses acupuncturists in the state. The board is authorized in  
          law to approve educational and training programs for  
          acupuncture. 

          Proposed Law: SB 1246 would extend the statutory sunset of the  
          California Acupuncture Board until January 1, 2016. 

          In addition, the bill would:
              Specify that the Board, with the approval of the Director  
              of the Department of Consumer Affairs, may appoint an  








          SB 1246 (Lieu)
          Page 1


              executive director on January 1, 2015;
              Specify that the executive director appointed shall not  
              have served as executive director of the Board before  
              January 1, 2015;
              Extend the Board's authority to approve educational and  
              training programs until January 1, 2017;
              Repeal the Board's authority to approve education and  
              training programs after January 1, 2017 and instead require  
              educational and training programs to meet specified national  
              accreditation requirements. 

          Staff Comments: SB 1246 is one of several sunset review bills  
          authored by the Chair of the Senate Committee on Business,  
          Professions and Economic Development. That committee has a  
          policy of periodically reviewing the activities and performance  
          of the licensing boards and bureaus within the Department of  
          Consumer Affairs. As part of that review process, boards and  
          bureaus are reauthorized in statute and any statutory changes  
          the committee finds would improve their activities can be made  
          in those sunset review bills.