Legislative procedure: committee referrals: Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer or Business Protection.

The California Constitution authorizes each house of the Legislature to provide for the selection of committees necessary for the conduct of its business, including committees to ascertain facts and make recommendations to the Legislature on a subject within the scope of legislative control. Existing law generally makes various regulatory boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs inoperative and repealed on specified dates, and, until January 1, 2012, subjects those boards and other specified boards to review by the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer Protection. This bill would enact the Jobs Protection Act. The bill would rename the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer Protection as the Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions, and Consumer or Business Protection, and would create a new legislative procedure with regard to any bill, as defined, that may have a statewide economic impact affecting business. The bill would require the Assembly Committee on Rules and the Senate Committee on Rules to refer any bill that may have a statewide economic impact affecting business, as specified, to the joint committee for the preparation of an economic impact analysis and a hearing and approval. The bill would require the joint committee to move a bill estimated to generate a fiscal impact of $10,000 or more on small business, as defined, or $50,000 or more on any other business, to the suspense file of the joint committee for further consideration, subject to specified procedural requirements. The bill would also require the joint committee to make an annual report in that regard. The bill would make conforming changes to related provisions. The California Constitution authorizes the Governor to declare a fiscal emergency and to call the Legislature into special session for that purpose. The Governor issued a proclamation declaring a fiscal emergency, and calling a special session for this purpose, on January 8, 2010. This bill would state that it addresses the fiscal emergency declared by the Governor by proclamation issued on January 8, 2010, pursuant to the California Constitution.