Licensing boards: procedures.

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 each board within the department to publicly post on its internet website a list of criteria used to evaluate applicants with criminal convictions so that potential applicants for licensure may be better informed about their possibilities of gaining licensure before investing time and resources into education, training, and application fees. The bill would require the department to establish a process to assist each board in developing its internet website, as specified. The bill would also require the department to develop a process for each board to use in verifying applicant information and performing background checks of applicants, and would require that process to require applicants with convictions to provide certified court documents instead of listing convictions on application documents. The bill would further require the board to develop a procedure to provide for an informal appeals process that would occur between an initial license denial and an administrative law hearing.