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AB-225 Department of Consumer Affairs: boards: veterans: military spouses: licenses.(2021-2022)

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Date Published: 06/28/2021 09:00 PM
AB225:v96#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Senate  June 28, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  May 24, 2021
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 20, 2021

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 225

Introduced by Assembly Members Gray, Gallagher, and Patterson
(Coauthor: Senator Dodd)

January 11, 2021

An act to amend Section 115.6 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations, and making an appropriation therefor.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 225, as amended, Gray. Department of Consumer Affairs: boards: veterans: military spouses: licenses.
Under existing law, the Department of Consumer Affairs, under the control of the Director of Consumer Affairs, is comprised of various boards that license and regulate various professions and vocations. Existing law requires an applicant seeking a license from a board within the department to meet specified requirements and to pay certain licensing fees. Existing law requires specified boards within the department to issue, after appropriate investigation, certain types of temporary licenses to an applicant if the applicant meets specified requirements, including that the applicant supplies evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders and the applicant holds a current, active, and unrestricted license that confers upon the applicant the authority to practice, in another state, district, or territory of the United States, the profession or vocation for which the applicant seeks a temporary license from the board. Existing law requires these temporary licenses to expire 12 months after issuance. Under existing law, some of the funds within the jurisdiction of a board consist of revenue from fees that are continuously appropriated.
This bill would expand the eligibility for a temporary license to an applicant who meets the specified criteria and who supplies evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States within 6 months 60 months of separation from active duty under other-than-dishonorable other than dishonorable conditions, and an applicant who supplies evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States within 120 months of separation from active duty under other than dishonorable conditions and a resident of California prior to entering into military service, or an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States with official orders for separation within 90 days under other-than-dishonorable other than dishonorable conditions. By expanding the scope of the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill’s expansion of the requirement to issue temporary licenses would result in revenues from fees for certain licenses being deposited into continuously appropriated funds. By establishing a new source of revenue for those continuously appropriated funds, the bill would make an appropriation.
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.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 115.6 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

115.6.
 (a) A board within the department shall, after appropriate investigation, issue the following eligible temporary licenses to an applicant if the applicant meets the requirements set forth in subdivision (c):
(1) Registered nurse license by the Board of Registered Nursing.
(2) Vocational nurse license issued by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California.
(3) Psychiatric technician license issued by the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians of the State of California.
(4) Speech-language pathologist license issued by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.
(5) Audiologist license issued by the Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and Hearing Aid Dispensers Board.
(6) Veterinarian license issued by the Veterinary Medical Board.
(7) All licenses issued by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
(8) All licenses issued by the Medical Board of California.
(9) All licenses issued by the Podiatric Medical Board of California.
(b) The board may conduct an investigation of an applicant for purposes of denying or revoking a temporary license issued pursuant to this section. This investigation may include a criminal background check.
(c) An applicant seeking a temporary license pursuant to this section shall meet the following requirements:
(1) The applicant shall supply evidence satisfactory to the board that the applicant is one of the following:
(A) Married to, or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with, an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.
(B) A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States within six 60 months of separation from active duty under other-than-dishonorable other than dishonorable conditions.
(C) A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States within 120 months of separation from active duty under other than dishonorable conditions and a resident of California prior to entering into military service.

(C)

(D) An active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States with official orders for separation within 90 days under other-than-dishonorable other than dishonorable conditions.
(2) The applicant shall hold a current, active, and unrestricted license that confers upon the applicant the authority to practice, in another state, district, or territory of the United States, the profession or vocation for which the applicant seeks a temporary license from the board.
(3) The applicant shall submit an application to the board that shall include a signed affidavit attesting to the fact that the applicant meets all of the requirements for the temporary license and that the information submitted in the application is accurate, to the best of the applicant’s knowledge. The application shall also include written verification from the applicant’s original licensing jurisdiction stating that the applicant’s license is in good standing in that jurisdiction.
(4) The applicant shall not have committed an act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of the license under this code at the time the act was committed. A violation of this paragraph may be grounds for the denial or revocation of a temporary license issued by the board.
(5) The applicant shall not have been disciplined by a licensing entity in another jurisdiction and shall not be the subject of an unresolved complaint, review procedure, or disciplinary proceeding conducted by a licensing entity in another jurisdiction.
(6) The applicant shall, upon request by a board, furnish a full set of fingerprints for purposes of conducting a criminal background check.
(d) A board may adopt regulations necessary to administer this section.
(e) A temporary license issued pursuant to this section may be immediately terminated upon a finding that the temporary licenseholder failed to meet any of the requirements described in subdivision (c) or provided substantively inaccurate information that would affect the person’s eligibility for temporary licensure. Upon termination of the temporary license, the board shall issue a notice of termination that shall require the temporary licenseholder to immediately cease the practice of the licensed profession upon receipt.
(f) An applicant seeking a temporary license as a civil engineer, geotechnical engineer, structural engineer, land surveyor, professional geologist, professional geophysicist, certified engineering geologist, or certified hydrogeologist pursuant to this section shall successfully pass the appropriate California-specific examination or examinations required for licensure in those respective professions by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists.
(g) A temporary license issued pursuant to this section shall expire 12 months after issuance, upon issuance of a standard license, a license by endorsement, or an expedited license pursuant to Section 115.5, whichever occurs first.

SEC. 2.

 No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.