Professions and vocations.

Under existing law, the Department of Consumer Affairs is comprised of various boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, and similarly constituted agencies that license and regulate the practice of various professions and vocations. This bill would continue in existence several of these boards, bureaus, and commissions, including the Dental Board of California, the California Board of Accountancy, and the California Architects Board, among others, until January 1, 2025, and make related conforming changes. Existing law specifies that all osteopathic physician's and surgeon's certificates shall expire at midnight on the last day of the birth month of the licensee during the 2nd year of a 2-year term. Existing law requires the Osteopathic Medical Board of California to establish by regulation procedures for the administration of a birth date renewal program. This bill, instead, would specify that physician's and surgeon's certificates shall be issued for 2 years and shall expire at midnight on the last day of the month in which the license was issued. The bill would also remove the provisions requiring the board to establish procedures for the administration of a birth date renewal program. Existing law, the Private Investigator Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of private investigators by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services and makes violations of those provisions a crime. Existing law, until January 1, 2024, authorizes the bureau to issue a private investigator license to a limited liability company. This bill would extend that date to January 1, 2025. By extending the operation of these provisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Alarm Company Act, establishes the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services headed by the Chief of the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties over the licensure, registration, and regulation of alarm company operators. Existing law prohibits a person from engaging in the activities of an alarm company operator unless the person holds a valid alarm company operator's license. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a crime. Existing law authorizes the bureau to establish fees and penalties for licensure and registration. Existing law, beginning on January 1, 2024, prohibits an alarm company operator from conducting business under these provisions as a limited liability company. This bill would extend that date until January 1, 2025, and make other conforming changes. By extending the operation of these provisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. Existing law, the Cemetery and Funeral Act, establishes the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau within the Department of Consumer Affairs and sets forth its powers and duties relating to the licensure and regulation of cemeteries, crematories, funeral establishments, and their personnel. Existing law authorizes the bureau to set the amount, within specified parameters, of various fees and regulatory charges under the act, including fees and charges relating to a certificate of authority, a crematory license, a funeral director's license, a funeral establishment's license, an embalmer's license, a cemetery broker's license, a cemetery salesperson's license, a cremated remains disposer, a crematory manager license, a cemetery manager license, a cemetery authority operating a cemetery, and a hydrolysis facility license. This bill would remove the bureau's authority to set the amount of those fees and, instead, specify the amount of each fee. The bill would establish a delinquent renewal fee for a funeral establishment license. The bill would make other conforming changes. Existing law authorizes a cemetery authority that maintains a cemetery to place its cemetery under endowment care and establish, maintain, and operate an endowment care fund. Existing law prohibits commingling special care funds derived from trusts created by a revocable agreement for investment and requires those funds to be accounted for separately from all other funds. Existing law requires a cemetery authority to file with the bureau an annual audit report of the endowment care fund and special care fund, as specified. This bill would establish fees for filing an annual report on the endowment care fund and special care fund, as specified. Existing law requires, until January 1, 2024, funds generated by fees received by the Court Reporters Board of California, pursuant to specified provisions, in excess of funds needed to support the board's operating budget for the fiscal year, to be transferred from the Court Reporters' Fund and used by the board for the purpose of establishing and maintaining a Transcript Reimbursement Fund, which is continuously appropriated, to provide shorthand reporting services to low-income litigants in civil cases who are unable to otherwise afford those services. This bill would continue the operation of provisions that provide for funds to be transferred into the Transcript Reimbursement Fund until January 1, 2025, and make other conforming changes. By continuing the transfer of funds into a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law provides for the licensure and regulation of shorthand reporters by the Court Reporters Board of California. Existing law subjects a person or entity to certain penalties if the person or entity engages in specified acts relating to shorthand reporting, including any act that constitutes shorthand reporting, unless the person or entity is a licensed shorthand reporter, a shorthand reporting corporation, or one of specified other persons or entities not subject to those provisions. Existing law makes a violation of these provisions a misdemeanor. Existing law, on and after July 1, 2022, and until January 1, 2024, authorizes an entity that is not a shorthand reporting corporation to engage in specified acts if the entity is approved for registration by the board, as specified. This bill would extend the operation of those provisions authorizing an entity that is not a shorthand reporting corporation to engage in those specified acts if the entity is approved for registration by the board, as specified, until January 1, 2025. Existing law specifies that there is in the Department of Consumer Affairs a Bureau of Household Goods and Services, under the supervision and control of a director. Existing law, the Electronic and Appliance Repair Dealer Registration Law, regulates service dealers, as defined, and applies its provisions, until January 1, 2023, to service contractors. Among other things, existing law, until January 1, 2023, requires the director to gather evidence of specified violations by any service contractor and to conduct spot check investigations of service contractors throughout the state on a continuous basis. Existing law establishes the Electronic and Appliance Repair Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, and establishes a specified fee structure that, among other things, specifies the initial registration fee and annual renewal fee for a service dealer or service contractor who does not operate a place of business in this state. Existing law revises those provisions and repeals the provisions applicable to an out-of-state service contractor on January 1, 2023. This bill would continue to extend applicability of those provisions to service contractors, and would authorize the continued exercise of specified responsibilities by the director to service contractors until January 1, 2024. The bill would extend the fee schedule and provisions applicable to an out-of-state service contractor until January 1, 2024. Because the bill would continue the operation of provisions that require service contractors to pay fees that are deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, the Electronic and Appliance Repair Fund, this bill would make an appropriation. This bill would make other technical and nonsubstantive changes, including updating cross-references. This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 7520.3 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by SB 1495 to be operative only if this bill and SB 1495 are enacted and this bill is enacted last. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.