Licensing boards: disqualification from licensure: criminal conviction.

Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of various professions and vocations by boards within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes a board to deny, suspend, or revoke a license on the grounds that the applicant or licensee has been subject to formal discipline, as specified, or convicted of a crime substantially related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of the business or profession for which the application is made, as specified. This bill would require a board to establish a process by which prospective applicants may request a preapplication determination as to whether their criminal history could be cause for denial of a completed application for licensure by the board. The bill would provide that the preapplication determination, among other things, may be requested by the prospective applicant at any time prior to the submission of an application and would require the board to include specified written information regarding the criteria used to evaluate criminal history and how the prospective applicant may challenge a denial by the board. The bill would provide that a preapplication determination does not constitute a denial or disqualification of an application and would prohibit requiring a preapplication determination for licensure or for participation in any education or training program. The bill would require a board to publish information regarding its process for requesting a preapplication determination on its internet website and authorize a board to charge a fee, as specified, to be deposited by the board into the appropriate fund and available only upon appropriation by the Legislature.