Existing law, until January 1, 2018, establishes within the Department of Consumer Affairs a State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind, which consists of 7 members appointed by the Governor. Existing law authorizes the board to issue licenses for the instruction of persons who are blind or visually impaired in the use of guide dogs and for the training of guide dogs for use by persons who are blind or visually impaired. Under existing law, the board also has exclusive authority in this state to issue licenses to operate schools for the training of guide dogs and the instruction of persons who are blind or visually impaired in the use of guide dogs. Existing law makes it unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, give, hire, or furnish under any other arrangement, any guide dog or to engage in the business or occupation of training a guide dog unless he or she holds a valid and unimpaired license issued pursuant to the provisions governing guide dogs. A violation of those provisions is a crime.

This bill would repeal those provisions. The bill would make any person who uses in any sign, business card, or letterhead, or in any advertisement, the words “guide dog instructor,” “certified guide dog instructor,” or any other terms or letters indicating or implying that he or she is an instructor trained in the utilization or training of guide dogs for the blind, or who represents or holds himself or herself out as a guide dog instructor without having knowledge of the special problems of persons who are blind or visually impaired and being able to teach them, being able to demonstrate the ability to train guide dogs with which persons who are blind or visually impaired would be safe under various traffic conditions, or being employed by a guide dog school certified by the International Guide Dog Federation or a successor entity, subject to a fine or civil penalty. The bill would also require a guide dog school to submit to the Department of Consumer Affairs, on or before September 1 of each year, a list of all trainers or guide dog instructors employed or contracted by the school.

The bill would make other conforming changes.

This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 205 of the Business and Professions Code, as amended by Section 1 of Chapter 800 of the Statutes of 2016, proposed by SB 19 to be operative only if this bill and SB 19 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.