Business and professions.

(1) Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of accountants by the California Board of Accountancy, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires an applicant for licensure as a certified public accountant to provide documentation to the board of the completion of a certain number of units of ethics study, as specified. Existing law requires a portion of those units to come from courses containing specified terms in the course title, including, but not limited to, corporate governance. This bill would instead require those units to come from courses in specified subjects relating to ethics. (2) The Architects Practice Act provides for the licensure and regulation of architects and landscape architects by the California Architects Board, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and requires a person to pass an examination as a condition of licensure as an architect. Existing law authorizes the board to grant eligibility to a candidate to take the licensure examination if he or she is enrolled in an Additional Path to Architecture Licensing program that integrates the experience and examination components offered by a National Architectural Accrediting Board-accredited degree program. This bill would instead authorize the board to grant eligibility to a candidate to take the licensure examination if he or she is enrolled in a degree program accepted by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards that integrates the licensure degree experience and examination components required under that act. (3) The Contractors' State License Law provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. That law requires, except as specified, an application for an original license, an additional classification, or for a change of qualifier to become void when certain conditions are met, including if the applicant or examinee for the applicant has failed to appear for the scheduled qualifying examination and fails to request and pay the fee for rescheduling within 90 days of notification of failure to appear or if the applicant or the examinee for the applicant has failed to achieve a passing grade in the scheduled qualifying examination and fails to request and pay the fee for rescheduling within 90 days of notification of failure to pass the examination. This bill would delete those above-mentioned conditions as reasons for an application for an original license, an additional classification, or for a change of qualifier to become void. With respect to home improvement contracts between an owner or tenant and a contractor, whether a general contractor or a specialty contractor, that is licensed or subject to be licensed with regard to the transaction, existing statutory law makes the failure to comply with specified provisions governing the furnishing of a performance and payment bond a cause for discipline. Existing regulatory law requires a licensee seeking approval of a blanket bond to meet certain conditions and to submit to the board an Application for Approval of Blanket Performance and Payment Bond. Existing regulatory law requires a licensee to be licensed in this state in an active status for not less than 5 years prior to submitting that application. This bill would instead require such a licensee to be licensed for not less than 2 years prior to submitting that application. (4) Existing law, the Cemetery and Funeral Act, requires each cemetery authority to annually file with the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau a specified written report that includes information relating to the general and special endowment care funds. Existing law requires the report to be accompanied by an annual audit report of those funds and specifies the scope of the audit. This bill would require the audit to be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. (5) The Geologist and Geophysicist Act provides for the registration and regulation of professional geologists and professional geophysicists by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. That act requires an applicant for registration to take an examination and requires the examination to be held at the times and places within the state that the board determines. This bill would authorize the board to make arrangements with a public or private organization to conduct the examination. The bill would authorize the board to contract with such an organization for materials or services related to the examination and would authorize the board to allow an organization specified by the board to receive, directly from applicants, payments of the examination fees charged by that organization for materials and services. (6) The California Tourism Marketing Act requires the Governor to appoint a Tourism Selection Committee, as specified, and provides that the Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development has the power to veto actions of the commission. That act states various findings and declarations by the Legislature regarding the tourism industry in California, including that the mechanism created by that act to fund generic promotions be pursuant to the supervision and oversight of the secretary. This bill would instead find and declare that the mechanism to fund generic promotions be pursuant to the supervision and oversight of the Director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development.