Contractors: workers' compensation insurance.

Existing law, the Contractors' State License Law, provides for the licensing and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes the board to appoint a registrar of contractors and requires a workers' compensation insurer to report to the registrar specified information regarding a licensee's workers' compensation policy. This bill would, additionally, require a workers' compensation insurer to report to the registrar a licensee whose workers' compensation insurance policy is canceled by the insurer if the insurer has completed a premium audit or investigation, a material misrepresentation has been made by the insured that results in financial harm to the insurer, and no reimbursement has been paid by the insured to the insurer. The bill would provide that that information is not subject to the California Public Records Act. The bill would also provide that a willful or deliberate disregard and violation of workers' compensation insurance laws constitutes a cause for disciplinary action by the registrar against the licensee. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect.