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AB-2185 Professions and vocations: applicants licensed in other states: reciprocity.(2019-2020)

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Date Published: 05/13/2020 09:00 PM
AB2185:v97#DOCUMENT

Amended  IN  Assembly  May 13, 2020
Amended  IN  Assembly  March 16, 2020

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2019–2020 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2185

Introduced by Assembly Members Patterson and Gallagher

February 11, 2020

An act to add Section 117 to the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2185, as amended, Patterson. Professions and vocations: applicants licensed in other states: reciprocity.
Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is composed of boards that license and regulate various professions and vocations to ensure that certain businesses and professions that have potential impact upon the public health, safety, and welfare are adequately regulated. Existing law makes a violation of some of those licensure provisions a crime.
Existing law authorizes certain boards, for purposes of reciprocity, to waive examination or other requirements and issue a license to an applicant who holds a valid license in another state and meets specified other requirements, including, among others, a license to practice veterinary medicine.
This bill, with exceptions, would require each board within the department to issue a license to an applicant in the discipline for which the applicant applies if the person meets certain requirements, including, but not limited to, that the person is married to, or is 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, the person currently holds a license in good standing in another state in the discipline and practice level and with the same scope of practice for which the person applies, the person has held the license and has practiced in the licensed field in the other another state or jurisdiction for at least 3 of the last 5 years, and the person pays all applicable fees and complies with any applicable surety bond and insurance requirements. By expanding the applicants who are authorized to be licensed and who may be prosecuted for a violation of those licensure provisions constituting a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated 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.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: YES  

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


SECTION 1.

 Section 117 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:

117.
 (a) Notwithstanding any law, each board within the department shall issue a license in the discipline for which the applicant applies if the applicant meets all of the following requirements:
(1) The person is married to, or is 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.
(2) The person currently holds a license in good standing in another state in the discipline and practice level and with the same scope of practice for which the person is applying.
(3) The person has held the license and has practiced in the licensed field in the other another state or jurisdiction for at least three of the last five years.
(4) The person has not had any disciplinary actions imposed against their license and has not had a license in the discipline for which the person is applying revoked or suspended in any other state.
(5) The person submits verification that they have satisfied all education, work, examination, and other requirements for gained licensure in the other state in which the person holds a license in good standing and those requirements are similar to the standards required for licensure in this state. and holds that license in good standing, and those requirements are deemed similar to the standards required for licensure in this state by the appropriate licensing board.
(6) The person would not be denied licensure under any other provision of this code, including, but not limited to, disqualification for criminal history relating to the license sought.
(7) The person pays all applicable fees for licensure and complies with any applicable surety bond and insurance requirements.
(8) If required by the board, the person has passed a California jurisprudence and ethics examination or other examination otherwise required for applicants by the board on the statutes and regulations relating to the license.
(b) This section shall not supersede any other reciprocity agreement, compact membership, or statute that provides reciprocity for a person who holds a valid license in another state.
(c) This section shall not apply to the Board of Registered Nursing, Nursing or any other board that currently authorizes license portability as a component of qualifying for licensure in this state, and the Board of Behavioral Sciences or any other board that has a mandatory license portability requirement in statute, and any board that currently authorizes license portability as a component of qualifying for licensure in this state. statute. License portability is defined as either providing a license by endorsement with verification of an out-of-state license in good standing, or exempting state-specific requirements to facilitate a practitioner’s ability to obtain a license and practice in multiple jurisdictions.
(d) Notwithstanding any law, the fees, fines, penalties, or other money received by a board pursuant to this section shall not be continuously appropriated and shall be available only upon appropriation by the legislature.

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.