Tour guides: regulation.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professionals, including, but not limited to, advertisers, attorneys, interior designers, barbers, and cosmetologists. This bill would provide for the licensure and regulation of tour guides by the California Travel and Tourism Commission, as specified, with certain exceptions. The bill would require applicants for certification, among other things, to be 18 years of age or older, meet specified educational criteria, pay fees required by the commission, and provide fingerprints for submission to the Department of Justice for a criminal background check. The act would require the department to review specified information and provide fitness determinations and other specified information to the commission. The bill would also authorize local governments to establish local tour guide certification programs and require the commission to certify applicants licensed through those programs. This bill would allow the commission to take disciplinary action against certificate holders or applicants, as specified. The bill would prohibit unlicensed persons from leading tour groups into state parks or other state facilities for compensation as part of a multisite tour.