(1) Under existing law, when the Department of Motor Vehicles determines that an applicant is lawfully entitled to a driver's license, the department is required to issue that license to the applicant. Existing law specifies the contents of a driver's license and requires the application for a driver's license or identification card to contain a space for an applicant to indicate whether he or she has served in the Armed Forces of the United States and to give his or her consent to be contacted regarding eligibility to receive state or federal veterans' benefits. This bill would, commencing November 11, 2015, allow an in-person applicant for a driver's license or identification card to request the driver's license or identification card be printed with the word "VETERAN." The applicant would be required to present verification of veteran status to the Department of Motor Vehicles, on a form developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs in consultation with the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers and the Department of Motor Vehicles. The bill would require county veterans service offices to verify an applicant's veteran status for these purposes, as specified. The department would be required to print the word "VETERAN" on the face of a driver's license or identification card issued to a person who makes that request and presents that verification to the department. (2) Existing law establishes certain fee amounts for the applications for, and renewal of, driver's licenses and identification cards. This bill would require the department to charge an additional one-time fee of $5 to a person who requests that the person's driver's license or identification card be designated as provided above.
Sponsored bills
(1) Under existing law, the text of a proposed initiative measure is required to be submitted to the Attorney General for preparation of a circulating title and summary before the petition may be circulated for signatures. Existing law requires the Department of Finance and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to jointly develop an estimate of the fiscal impact of the initiative measure and to deliver that fiscal estimate to the Attorney General within 25 working days, except as specified, for inclusion in the circulating title and summary. Existing law further requires the Secretary of State, upon request of the proponents of an initiative measure, to review the provisions of the initiative measure and to comment on the provisions of the measure with respect to form and language clarity. This bill would require the Attorney General, upon receipt of a request to prepare the circulating title and summary, to initiate a 30-day public review process for the proposed initiative measure, as specified. The bill would require that the fiscal estimate be prepared jointly by the Department of Finance and the Legislative Analyst. The bill would require the estimate to be delivered to the Attorney General within 50 days of the date of receipt of the proposed initiative measure by the Attorney General instead of 25 working days from the receipt of the final version of the proposed initiative measure. (2) Existing law prohibits a petition for a proposed initiative or referendum measure from being circulated prior to the official summary date, and prohibits a petition with signatures on a proposed initiative measure from being filed with the county elections official later than 150 days from the official summary date. This bill would extend the date that a petition with signatures on a proposed initiative measure is required to be filed with the county elections official to not later than 180 days from the official summary date. (3) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to notify the proponents, and immediately transmit to the elections official or registrar of voters of every county or city and county in the state a certificate, when the Secretary of State has received from one or more elections officials or registrars a petition certified to have been signed by the requisite number of qualified voters. This bill would instead require the Secretary of State to issue a notice directing that signature verification be terminated. The bill would require the Secretary of State to identify the date of the next statewide election and, on the 131st day prior to that election, to issue a certificate of qualification certifying that the initiative measure is qualified for the ballot at that election. The bill would provide that, upon the issuance of that certification, the initiative measure would be deemed qualified for the ballot for purposes of specified provisions of the California Constitution. (4) Under existing law, the Secretary of State is required to transmit copies of an initiative measure and its circulating title and summary to the Senate and the Assembly after the measure is certified to appear on the ballot for consideration by the voters. Existing law requires that each house of the Legislature assign the initiative measure to its appropriate committees, and that the committees hold joint public hearings on the subject of the proposed measure prior to the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon, as specified. This bill would require the Secretary of State to transmit copies of the initiative measure and circulating title and summary to the Legislature after receiving a certification from the initiative proponents, signed under penalty of perjury, that they have collected 25% of the number of signatures needed to qualify the initiative measure for the ballot. The bill would require the appropriate committees of the Senate and Assembly to hold the joint public hearing on the subject of the measure not later than 131 days prior to the date of the election at which the measure is to be voted upon. (5) Existing law requires the Secretary of State to disseminate the complete state ballot pamphlet over the Internet and to establish a process to enable a voter to opt out of receiving the state ballot pamphlet by mail. Existing law requires the Secretary of State to develop a program to utilize modern communications and information processing technology to enhance the availability and accessibility of information on statewide candidates and ballot initiatives, including making information available online as well as through other information processing technology. This bill would require the Secretary of State to establish processes to enable a voter to receive the state ballot pamphlet in an electronic format instead of by mail. The bill would also require the Secretary of State to create an Internet Web site, or use other available technology, to consolidate information about each ballot measure in a manner that is easy for voters to access and understand. The Internet Web site would be required to include a summary of each ballot measure and to identify the donors and other sources of funding for the campaigns for and against each ballot measure. (6) Existing law authorizes the proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum measure to withdraw the measure at any time before filing the petition with the appropriate elections official. Existing law also requires that state initiative petitions circulated for signature include a prescribed notice to the public. This bill would authorize the proponents of a statewide initiative or referendum measure to have the measure withdrawn from the ballot at any time before the measure qualifies for the ballot. The bill would require a petition for a statewide initiative measure to contain additional prescribed language in its notice to the public describing the right of proponents to withdraw the measure from the ballot, as specified. (7) Existing law makes certain activities relating to the circulation of an initiative, referendum, or recall petition a criminal offense. This bill would make it a crime for a proponent of a statewide initiative measure to seek, solicit, bargain for, or obtain any money or thing of value of or from any person, firm, or corporation for the purpose of withdrawing an initiative petition after filing it with the appropriate elections official. By establishing a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (8) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 9031 of the Elections Code proposed by AB 2219 that would become operative if this bill and AB 2219 are both enacted and this bill is enacted last. The bill would also incorporate additional changes in Section 9082.7 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 844 that would become operative only if SB 844 and this bill are both enacted and this bill is enacted last. The bill would also incorporate additional changes to Section 18621 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 1043 that would become operative if this bill and SB 1043 are both enacted and this bill is enacted last. (9) 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.
(1) Existing law allows an incarcerated person who has been convicted of a felony to make a written motion for the performance of forensic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing according to a specified procedure. Existing law allows the court to order a hearing on the motion in the court's discretion. This bill would instead allow the court to order a hearing on the motion if the court determines the convicted person has met specified requirements and that the hearing is necessary. This bill would, upon request of the convicted person or the convicted person's counsel, allow a court to order the prosecutor to make all reasonable efforts to obtain, and police agencies and law enforcement laboratories to make all reasonable efforts to provide, copies of DNA lab reports, copies of evidence logs, and other specified documents. (2) Existing law requires notice of a motion for DNA testing to be served on the Attorney General, the district attorney in the county of conviction, and, if known, the governmental agency or laboratory holding the evidence sought to be retested. Existing law requires the response, if any, to be filed within 60 days of the date on which the Attorney General and the district attorney are served with the motion, unless a continuance is granted for good cause. This bill would extend the time for filing a response to 90 days. The bill would also allow either party to request an additional 60 days to brief certain specified issues. (3) Existing law requires a court to grant the motion for DNA testing if it determines, among other things, that the convicted person has made a prima facie showing that the evidence sought to be tested is material to the issue of the convicted persons' identity as the perpetrator of, or accomplice to, the crime that resulted in the conviction and that the requested DNA testing results would raise a reasonable probability that, in light of all the evidence, the convicted person's verdict or sentence would have been more favorable if the results of DNA testing had been available at the time of conviction. This bill would state that the convicted person is only required to demonstrate that the DNA testing would be relevant to, rather than dispositive of, the issue of identity and is not required to show that a favorable test result would conclusively establish his or her innocence before the court may grant a motion for DNA testing. The bill would prohibit a court, in determining whether the convicted person is entitled to develop potentially exculpatory evidence, from deciding whether, assuming a DNA test result favorable to the convicted person, he or she is entitled to some form of ultimate relief. If the court grants a motion for DNA testing and a profile of an unknown contributor is generated, the bill would allow the court to conduct a hearing to determine if the DNA profile should be uploaded into the State Index System, and if appropriate, the Federal DNA Index System, if certain conditions are met, as specified. The bill would revise the requirements that a laboratory is required to meet in order to conduct testing pursuant to a motion for DNA retesting, as specified. (4) Existing law requires the appropriate governmental entity to retain all biological material that is secured in connection with a criminal case for the period of time that any person remains incarcerated in connection with the case. Existing law allows the governmental entity to dispose of biological material before the expiration of this time period if the governmental entity notifies the inmate and his or her counsel, and the notifying entity does not receive, within 90 days of sending the notification, a motion for DNA testing, a request that the material not be destroyed because a motion for DNA testing will be filed within 180 days, or a declaration of innocence that has been filed with the court within 180 days of the judgment of conviction. This bill would allow the governmental entity to dispose of biological material before the expiration of the time that the person remains incarcerated in connection with the case if the governmental entity notifies the inmate and his or her counsel, and the notifying entity does not receive, within 180 days of sending the notification, a motion for DNA testing, a request that the material not be destroyed because a motion for DNA testing will be filed within one year, or a declaration of innocence that has been filed with the court within one year of the judgment of conviction. By increasing the duties of local governmental entities in regard to the retention of biological material, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Existing law, until January 1, 2015, establishes the Structural Pest Control Board, within the Department of Consumer Affairs, and authorizes the Director of Consumer Affairs to appoint a registrar to be the executive officer of the board. The board is required to license and regulate structural pest control operators, as specified. This bill would extend the operation of those provisions until January 1, 2019. Existing law provides, in pertinent part, that structural pest control includes, with respect to household pests and wood destroying pests or organisms, or other pests which may invade households or other structures, the engaging in, offering to engage in, advertising for, soliciting, or the performance of, among other things, the identification of infestations, or the use of insecticides, pesticides, rodenticides, fumigants, or allied chemicals or substances for the purpose of eliminating, exterminating, controlling, or preventing infestations or infections of those pests, or organisms. Under existing law, an applicator's license expires 3 years from the date the license is issued. This bill would define the term "pesticide" to include any spray adjuvant and any substance, or mixture of substances, that is intended to be used for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any pest or organism, and would make conforming changes pertaining to that definition. The bill would delete obsolete provisions pertaining to the definition of fumigants and fumigation procedures, and would conform notice provisions relating to fumigation to other provisions of law. The bill would authorize, in specified circumstances, waiving the use of warning agents in conjunction with fumigants. The bill would provide that an applicator's license instead would expire on June 30 of the 3rd year after issuance. Existing law requires registered structural pest control companies to submit monthly reports to the county agricultural commissioner reporting the name and registration number of each pesticide, the amount used, and the number of applications made. Existing law requires the report to have a pesticide stamp issued by the board, as specified. This bill would authorize the use of pesticide stamp numbers in addition to pesticide stamps for those purposes. The bill would delete the requirement that the monthly reports specify the number of applications made for a pesticide. The bill would require structural pest control licensees to maintain a copy of the monthly report for 3 years after submission. Existing law prescribes various fees for licensing, registration, examinations, and other purposes pertaining to structural pest control matters, and authorizes a fee of $2 for a pesticide use stamp in connection with a monthly pesticide report. Existing law provides that those fees may be deposited in the Structural Pest Control Research Fund, or with a bank or other depository, as specified. This bill would prescribe a $2 fee for a pesticide use stamp number. The bill would delete provisions for deposit of the stamp and stamp number fees with a bank or other depository, and would make additional conforming changes. Existing law authorizes suspension and fines to be imposed on a registered structural pest control company for specified violations. This bill would provide that the time for an action for a suspension or fine against a structural pest control licensee or registered company would be 2 years from the date of the violation, provided however, that when an agricultural commissioner submits a completed investigation to the registrar of the Structural Pest Control Board, or the Attorney General, the action would be required to be brought within one year of the commissioner's submission. Existing law establishes a disciplinary review committee, in connection with disciplinary procedures against structural pest control licensees and registered companies, which requires as a member of the committee, a person representing the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. This bill would instead require as a member of the committee, a person who represents the Director of Pesticide Regulation. The bill would make additional conforming and technical, nonsubstantive changes. The bill would incorporate changes to Section 8674 of the Business and Professions Code proposed by both this bill and AB 1685 which would become operative only if both bills are enacted and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is enacted last.
(1) Existing federal law, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, regulates, among other matters, the manufacture, distribution, and sale of prescription drugs in interstate commerce and is administered by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Existing law, the federal Drug Supply Chain Security Act, provides for the development of a system that will require, among other things, manufacturers, wholesale drug distributors, repackagers, and dispensers in the drug supply chain to provide specified transaction information about a drug product, and prohibits a state or political subdivision of a state from continuing in effect any requirements for tracing products through the distribution system, including any requirements with respect to electronic pedigree systems, that are inconsistent with, more stringent than, or in addition to, any requirements of federal law. Existing law, the Pharmacy Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of pharmacy and the sale of dangerous drugs or dangerous devices by the California State Board of Pharmacy. Existing law, commencing July 1, 2016, prohibits a wholesaler or repackager from selling, trading, or transferring a dangerous drug at wholesale without providing a pedigree, as defined, and from acquiring a dangerous drug without receiving a pedigree. Existing law imposes parallel requirements with respect to pharmacies commencing July 1, 2017. Existing law makes these pedigree requirements inoperative upon the effective date of federal law addressing pedigree or serialization measures for dangerous drugs, or as otherwise specified in the event of a conflict with federal law. This bill would repeal the pedigree requirements and make related conforming changes. (2) Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. Existing law makes it unlawful to manufacture, sell, deliver, hold, or offer for sale, any drug that is misbranded, and provides that a drug or device is misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular. A violation of this law is a misdemeanor. This bill would provide that any foreign dangerous drug that is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration or that is obtained outside of the licensed supply chain regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, California State Board of Pharmacy, or State Department of Public Health is misbranded, except as specified. Because a violation of this provision would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would provide that any person, except as specified, who purchases or sells a foreign dangerous drug or medical device, or an illegitimate product or suspect product, as those terms are defined pursuant to federal law, that is not approved or otherwise authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration or that is obtained outside of the licensed supply chain regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration, California State Board of Pharmacy, or State Department of Public Health is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to imprisonment for not more than one year in a county jail, a fine of not more than $10,000 per occurrence, or both the imprisonment and fine. By creating new crimes, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (3) 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.
The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including a credit against those taxes for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, in an amount equal to an applicable percentage of either 20% or 25%, respectively, of the qualified expenditures, as defined, attributable to the production of a qualified motion picture in California, or, where the qualified motion picture is a television series that relocated to California or is an independent film, as provided. Existing law imposes specified duties on the California Film Commission related to the administration of the credits, including a requirement to allocate the tax credits until July 1, 2017, and limits the aggregate amount of credits that may be allocated to qualified motion pictures in any fiscal year to $100,000,000 through the 2016–17 fiscal year. Existing law, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2011, in lieu of the credits authorized under the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law for qualified motion pictures described above, also allows a credit against qualified state sales and use taxes, as provided. Existing law provides for a tentative minimum tax and further provides that, except for specified credits, no other credit shall reduce the tax imposed below the tentative minimum tax. This bill would establish similar credits under the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, to be allocated by the California Film Commission on or after July 1, 2015, and before July 1, 2020. This bill would, as compared to the existing tax credits, extend the scope of the credits for a qualified motion picture to the applicable percentage of qualified expenditures up to $100,000,000, would extend the credit to qualified expenditures for television pilot episodes, and would determine an applicable percentage of 25% or 20% for qualified expenditures, with an additional credit amount available, as specified. This bill would limit the aggregate amount of these new credits to be allocated in each fiscal year to up to $330 million, and would, subject to a computation and ranking of applicants based on the jobs ratio, as defined, require the California Film Commission to allocate credit amounts subject to specified categories of qualified motion pictures. This bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2016, in lieu of the credits authorized under the Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law for qualified motion pictures described above, allow a credit against qualified state sales and use taxes, as provided. This bill would also require the Legislative Analyst's Office to prepare reports related to the effectiveness and administration of the qualified motion picture credit under the Sales and Use Tax Law, the Personal Income Tax Law, and the Corporation Tax Law. This bill would, for taxable years, beginning on or after January 1, 2016, additionally allow the credit under the Corporation Tax Law for qualified expenditures for the production of qualified motion pictures to reduce the tentative minimum tax. This bill would also make findings and declarations related to the entertainment industry, and would urge the United States Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission to investigate and impose sanctions on specified motion picture productions and elements of production to combat unfair and illegal competition. 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 bill would state that its provisions are severable. This bill would incorporate additional changes in Section 23036 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, proposed by AB 2754, to be operative only if AB 2754 and this bill are both chaptered and become effective on or before January 1, 2015, and this bill is chaptered last. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.
Existing law, the Electronic Appliance Repair Dealer Registration Law, provides for the licensure and regulation of electronic appliance and repair dealers by the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings, and Thermal Insulation and makes a failure to comply with its provisions of a crime. Existing law establishes the bureau under the supervision and control of the Director of Consumer Affairs. Existing law requires the director to administer and enforce those provisions relating to the licensure and regulation of electronic and appliance repair service dealers and persons engaged in various businesses associated with home furnishings. Under existing law the Governor is required to appoint a chief of the bureau to serve under the direction and supervision of the director, as specified. This bill would extend the operation of the act to January 1, 2019, and would require that the powers and duties of the bureau, as provided, be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature as if these provisions were scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2019. By extending the operation of some of these provisions, the violation of which is a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.
(1) The Contractors' State License Law provides for the licensure and regulation of contractors by the Contractors' State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. The act establishes an enforcement division within the board that is required to enforce prohibitions against all forms of unlicensed activity, as specified. The act authorizes persons employed as enforcement representatives in the division and designated by the Director of Consumer Affairs to issue written notices to appear in court, as specified. This bill would additionally require that the enforcement division, when participating in the activities of the Joint Enforcement Strike Force on the Underground Economy, be granted free access to all places of labor. The bill would make other technical, nonsubstantive changes to these provisions. (2) The act makes it a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business of, or act in the capacity of, a contractor within this state without having a license, unless particularly exempted. This bill would instead provide that, unless exempted, it is a misdemeanor for a person to engage in the business of, or act in the capacity of, a contractor within this state if the person is not licensed in accordance with the act, or if the person performs acts covered by the act under a license that is under suspension for specified violations. (3) The act provides that it is a misdemeanor for any person to advertise for construction or work of improvement unless that person holds a valid license in the classification so advertised, except as specified. However, the act authorizes a person who is not licensed as a contractor to advertise for construction work or work of improvement if he or she states in the advertisement that he or she is not licensed, as specified. The act also exempts from its application any work or operation on one undertaking or project by one or more contracts if the aggregate contract price for labor, materials, and all other items is less than $500, and the work or operations are casual, minor, or inconsequential. This bill would authorize a person who is not licensed as a contractor to advertise for construction work or a work of improvement only if the aggregate contract price is less than $500 and the person states in the advertisement that he or she is not licensed. By expanding the scope of an existing crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) The act authorizes the board to appoint a registrar of contractors. Existing law requires the registrar to initiate disciplinary action against a licensee within 30 days of notification by the Labor Commissioner of a finding of a willful or deliberate violation of the Labor Code. This bill would instead require the registrar to initiate disciplinary action against a licensee within 180 days of notification by the Labor Commissioner. 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.
(1) 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. Existing law requires those agencies to hold public meetings and provide public notice of a meeting. This bill would require each of those agencies to offer a person requesting to receive notice of a meeting the option to receive that notice by regular mail, email, or both regular mail and email, and would require the agency to comply with that request. The bill would require an agency that intends to Web cast a meeting, to provide notice of intent to Web cast the meeting. (2) Existing law authorizes certain agencies within the department, upon investigation and with probable cause to believe that a person is advertising in a telephone directory with respect to the offering or performance of services, without being properly licensed by or registered with the agency, to issue a citation including an order of correction. Existing law authorizes those agencies to notify the Public Utilities Commission if a person does not comply with a final order of correction, and requires the commission to require the telephone corporation providing the telephone services to disconnect the service. This bill would apply those provisions to all agencies that comprise the department, and would delete the requirement that the advertising appear in a telephone directory. (3) Existing law imposes specified duties on the department and allows the department to levy a charge for the estimated administrative expenses in advance on a pro rata share basis against funds of an agency comprising the department. This bill would require the department to submit an annual report of the accounting of the pro rata calculation of administrative expenses to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, on or before July 1, 2015, and on or before July 1 of each subsequent year. The bill would require the department to conduct a one-time study of its system for prorating administrative excesses, and to include the findings of the study in the report it is required to submit on or before July 1, 2015. The bill would also require the department, if it engages a third-party consultant to assess the department's operations, to promptly, upon receipt of the consultant's final report on that assessment, submit that report to the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature including the entire study upon its completion. The bill would require the department to develop and make available training courses for employees who perform enforcement functions to develop knowledge of enforcement practices for all employees who perform enforcement functions. (4) Existing law requires an agency comprising the department to investigate a consumer accusation or compliant against a licensee and, where appropriate, the agency is authorized to impose disciplinary action against a licensee. Under existing law, an agency comprising the department may refer a compliant to the Attorney General or Office of Administrative Hearings for further action. Existing law requires the Director of Consumer Affairs to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature, on or before January 1, that includes information regarding consumer complaints and the action taken on those complaints. This bill would require the director's report to include specific, detailed information regarding those complaints and actions. The bill would require the Office of Administrative Hearings to submit a report to the department, the Governor, and the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature, on or before January 1, 2016, and on or before January 1 of each subsequent year, that includes specified information regarding the actions taken by the Office of Administrative Hearings pertaining to accusations and cases relating to consumer complaints against a person whose profession or vocation is licensed by an agency comprising the department. (5) Existing law regulates the practice of veterinary medicine. Existing law, until January 1, 2016, provides for a Veterinary Medical Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law, until January 1, 2016, authorizes the board to appoint a person exempt from civil service to be designated as an executive officer of the board, as specified. This bill would extend those provisions until January 1, 2017. (6) Existing law, beginning January 1, 2015, requires a veterinary assistant to obtain a controlled substance permit from the board in order to administer a controlled substance, and requires the board to revoke a veterinary controlled substance permit upon notification that the veterinary assistant has been convicted of a state or federal felony controlled substance violation. This bill would, instead, beginning July 1, 2015, authorize the board to deny, suspend, or revoke the controlled substance permit of a veterinary assistant after notice and hearing if the veterinary assistant has been convicted of a state or federal felony controlled substance violation. (7) Existing law regulates the practice of common interest development managers, and makes those provisions effective only until January 1, 2015. This bill would extend the effectiveness of those provisions until January 1, 2019, and subject those provisions to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. The bill would also delete an obsolete reference. (8) Existing law establishes the California Tax Education Council, a nonprofit organization, and requires the council to register and regulate tax preparers. Existing law makes those provisions effective only until January 1, 2015. This bill would extend the effectiveness of those provisions until January 1, 2019. (9) This bill would make technical, nonsubstantive, and conforming changes.
(1) Existing law, the Acupuncture Licensure Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of the practice of acupuncture by the Acupuncture Board, within the Department of Consumer Affairs. Existing law authorizes the board, with the approval of the Director of Consumer Affairs, to employ personnel necessary to administer the Acupuncture Licensure Act, including an executive officer who is exempt from civil service. Existing law repeals the provisions establishing the board and authority for it to employ personnel on January 1, 2015. This bill would remove the repeal date with respect to the board's authority to employ personnel. The bill would also extend the operation of the board and the board's authority to appoint an executive officer exempt from civil service until January 1, 2017. (2) Existing law requires the board to establish standards for the approval of schools and colleges offering education and training in the practice of an acupuncturist, as specified. Existing law requires a school or college approved by the board, within 3 years of board approval, to receive full institutional approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education or comparable approval by a governmental authority outside of the state, as applicable. Existing law requires the board to issue a license to practice acupuncture to a person who files an application, pays a fee, and among other requirements, completes an educational and training program approved by the board. This bill would delete the requirement that schools and colleges offering education and training in the practice of an acupuncturist obtain those approvals within 3 years of board approval. Commencing January 1, 2017, the bill would eliminate the requirement that the board approve those schools and colleges offering education and training in the practice of an acupuncturist and would instead define an "approved educational and training program," for purposes of licensure as an acupuncturist, as a school or college that: (A) offers curriculum that has been submitted to and approved by the board and includes at least 3,000 hours of which at least 2,050 hours are didactic and laboratory training, and at least 950 hours are supervised clinical instruction; (B) is approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education or is the appropriate out-of-state governmental educational authority; and (C) is accredited or granted candidacy status by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, or has submitted a letter of intent to pursue accreditation to that commission, as specified. This bill would require the board, within 30 days of receiving curriculum submitted by a school or college pursuant to these provisions, to review the curriculum, determine whether the curriculum satisfies the board's requirements, and notify the school or college, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education of whether the board has approved the curriculum. The bill would authorize the board to review and evaluate the educational training and clinical experience of a school or college that has submitted a letter of intent to pursue accreditation to, or was granted candidacy status by, the commission, but was subsequently denied candidacy status or accreditation, respectively, by the commission, to determine whether to waive the requirement that an applicant who attended that program complete an approved educational and training program. This bill would also require the board to establish standards for the approval of educational training and clinical experience received outside the United States and Canada, and would make related conforming changes.