Contractors: licensing and regulation.

The Contractors' State License Law provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board (board) , which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs. (1) Under existing law, the board is responsible for the licensure and regulation of contractors and the board is required to appoint a registrar of contractors. Existing law repeals these provisions establishing the board and requiring it to appoint a registrar on January 1, 2020. This bill would extend the operation of these provisions to January 1, 2024. Existing law requires the board to meet once each calendar quarter for the purpose of transacting business that comes before it. Existing law requires the board to appoint a registrar and requires the registrar, as specified, to publish a list of the names and addresses of contractors registered under that law, including a license check search function that would permit consumers to search for a licensed contractor by either ZIP Code or geographic location. Existing law requires an applicant or licensee to file or have on file a contractor's bond in the sum of $15,000. This bill would require the board to maintain the contractor search function on the board's internet website. The bill would require the board to conduct a study and report to the Legislature regarding whether the current amount of the contractors' bond requirement is sufficient. The bill would also require the board to make every effort to provide a webcast of all regularly scheduled quarterly meetings of the board, as specified. (2) Existing law provides that authorized representatives of the United States government, the State of California, and other specified agencies and entities are exempt from the provisions of the Contractors' State License Law, except as specified. This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions. (3) Existing law requires the registrar to make available to members of the public the date, nature, and status of all complaints on file against a licensee that meet specific qualifications. Under existing law, complaints resolved in favor of the contractor are not subject to disclosure. For legal actions against a licensee that require disclosure, existing law requires the disclosure to also appear on the license of record identified as a qualifier who is listed in the members of the personnel of record of the licensee issued the citation. This bill would make clarifying changes to these provisions relating to legal actions that require disclosure of disciplinary action against a licensee. (3) Existing law authorizes the board to set fees by regulation, according to a prescribed schedule, including an authorization to charge C-10 and C-7 contractors a fee, not to exceed $20, to be used by the board to enforce provisions of the Labor Code relating to electrician certification. This bill would instead require the board to only charge C-10 contractors a $20 fee, which would be assessed with the renewal fee for an active license, for that purpose. (4) Existing law requires, as a condition precedent to the board accepting an application for licensure, renewal, reinstatement, or to change officers or other personnel of record, that an applicant, previously found to have failed or refused to pay a contractor, subcontractor, consumer, materials supplier, or employee based on an unsatisfied final judgment, file or have on file with the board a bond sufficient to guarantee payment of an amount equal to the unsatisfied final judgment or judgments. Under existing law, if a judgment is entered against a licensee, then a qualifying person or personnel of record is prohibited from serving as a qualifying individual or other personnel of record on any license until the judgment is satisfied. This bill would extend that prohibition to when a judgment is entered against any personnel of record. (5) Existing law requires the board to receive and review complaints and consumer questions, and complaints received from state agencies, regarding solar energy systems companies and solar contractors. Existing law requires the board to annually compile a report documenting complaints it received relating to solar contractors that it shall make available publicly on the board's and the Public Utilities Commission's internet websites. This bill would make nonsubstantive changes to these provisions.