Architecture and landscape architecture.

Existing law, the Architects Practice Act, establishes the California Architects Board in the Department of Consumer Affairs until January 1, 2025, for the licensure and regulation of persons engaged in the practice of architecture, and makes specified violations of those provisions a crime. The board is also responsible for the licensure and regulation of landscape architects. This bill would extend the operation of the California Architects Board until January 1, 2029, and make related conforming changes. By extending the operation of these provisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also make nonsubstantive changes to various provisions of existing law relating to licensees of the board. Existing law requires, before taking the examination for a license to practice architecture, a person to file their application for examination with the board and pay a specified application fee. This bill would authorize the board to extend a candidate's application or examination process beyond the 5-year period, as specified, if a state of emergency is proclaimed by the Governor. The bill would require any extension granted to be an amount of time sufficient to supplement the time lost due to the state of emergency. Existing law relating to architecture and landscape architecture requires each licensee to file their current mailing address and the current name and address of the entity through which they provide architectural services with the board and notify the board of any change, as specified. This bill would require each licensee to also file with the board their current email address. The bill would require the board to post the above-described information obtained from licensees to its internet website, except for email addresses. The bill would also require each applicant for examination or licensure as an architect or a landscape architect who has a valid email address, as defined, to report to the board that email address at the time of application. The bill would require each licensee who has a valid email address to report to the board or verify that email address at the time of renewal. The bill would require each applicant or licensee to notify the board within 30 days of any change to their email address on file with the board. Under the bill, email addresses provided to the board pursuant to the bill would not be considered a public record and the bill would prohibit the public disclosure of those email addresses pursuant to specified law, except as provided. The bill would provide that information sent from an email account of the board to a valid email address provided by an applicant or licensee is presumed to have been delivered to the email address provided. Existing law prescribes the time in which an issued or renewed license expires. Existing law requires the board to give written notice by registered mail 90 days in advance of the expiration of the 5th year that a renewal fee has not been paid. Existing law authorizes an architecture or landscape architecture license that has expired to be renewed at any time within 5 years after its expiration on filing of an application for renewal on a form prescribed by the board, and payment of all accrued and unpaid renewal fees, except as otherwise provided. Existing law provides that a license which is not renewed within 5 years after its expiration may not be renewed, restored, reissued, or reinstated thereafter. Existing law applicable to landscape architects authorizes the holder of the expired license to apply for and obtain a new license if no fact, circumstance, or condition exists which, if the license were issued, would justify its revocation or suspension, the holder of the expired license pays the fees required of new applicants, and the holder of the expired license takes and passes the current California Supplemental Examination. This bill would prescribe the expiration of an issued or renewed license to be 2 years from the last day of the month in which the license was issued or 2 years from the date on which the renewed license last expired. The bill would remove the above-described requirement that the board give written notice by registered mail. The bill would instead authorize the holder of the expired landscape architecture license to apply for and obtain a new license if they pay all of the fees and meet all of the requirements for obtaining the original license. Existing law imposes various fees on licensees and applicants, which are deposited in the California Architects Board Fund, a continuously appropriated fund. Under existing law, these fees are prohibited from exceeding certain amounts, including, among others, that the fee for any section of the examination administered by the board is prohibited from exceeding $100. This bill would instead prescribe various amounts of dollars that fees are required to be and would authorize the board to adopt regulations to set the fee at a higher amount, up to a prescribed maximum. The bill would establish a fee for a license certification and would prohibit the fee from exceeding $40. By increasing moneys deposited into a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation. Existing constitutional provisions require that a statute that limits the right of access to the meetings of public bodies or the writings of public officials and agencies be adopted with findings demonstrating the interest protected by the limitation and the need for protecting that interest. This bill would make legislative findings to that effect. 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.