Professions and vocations: licenses.

Under existing law, boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs license and regulate persons practicing various healing arts, professions, vocations, and businesses. Existing law requires these boards to establish eligibility and application requirements, including examinations, to license, certificate, or register each applicant who successfully satisfies applicable requirements. This bill would require each board, as defined, to complete within 45 days the application review process with respect to each person who has filed with the board an application for issuance of a license, and to issue, within those 45 days, a license to an applicant who has successfully satisfied all licensure requirements, as specified. The bill would also require each board to offer each examination the board provides for licensure, a minimum of 6 times per year, unless the board uses a national examination. The bill would also authorize a person who has satisfied the educational requirements of the licensing act of which he or she seeks licensure to immediately apply for and take the professional examination required for licensure regardless of whether his or her application for licensure is then pending with the board for which he or she seeks licensure.