BILL ANALYSIS Ó SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair 2015 - 2016 Regular Session AB 177 (Bonilla) - Professions and vocations: licensing boards: authority: extension ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Version: June 30, 2015 |Policy Vote: B., P. & E.D. 9 - | | | 0 | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Urgency: No |Mandate: No | | | | |--------------------------------+--------------------------------| | | | |Hearing Date: August 17, 2015 |Consultant: Brendan McCarthy | | | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- This bill meets the criteria for referral to the Suspense File. Bill Summary: AB 177 would extend the statutory sunset of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, the California Architects Board, and the Landscape Architects Technical Committee until January 1, 2020. Fiscal Impact: No significant costs are anticipated due to the extension of the sunset of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (Professional Engineer's, Land Surveyor's, and Geologist's Fund). Current law imposes a sunset on the existence of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists as an appointed board. However, there is no sunset on the larger body of law requiring licensure and oversight of the practice of engineering, land surveying, and geology. If the Board was allowed to sunset, the overall licensing and regulatory program would still exist in law. AB 177 (Bonilla) Page 1 of ? Potential one-time costs up to $150,000 for the Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists to develop educational standards for geologists, geophysicists, and geologists-in-training (Professional Engineer's, Land Surveyor's, and Geologist's Fund). No significant costs are anticipated due to the extension of the sunset of the California Architects Board (California Architects Board Fund). Current law imposes a sunset on the existence of the California Architects Board as an appointed board. However, there is no sunset on the larger body of law requiring licensure and oversight of the practice of architecture. If the Board was allowed to sunset, the overall licensing and regulatory program would still exist in law. No significant costs are anticipated due to the extension of the sunset of the Landscape Architects Technical Committee (Landscape Architects Fund). Current law imposes a sunset on the existence of the Landscape Architects Technical Committee as an appointed board. However, there is no sunset on the larger body of law requiring licensure and oversight of the practice of landscape architecture. If the Board was allowed to sunset, the overall licensing and regulatory program would still exist in law. Background: Under current law, the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists licenses and regulates engineers, land surveyors, and geologists. Current law sunsets the operation of the Board on January 1, 2016. Current law specifies that individuals seeking licensure as a geologist must have graduated with a major in geological sciences. Under current law, the Board is supported by license fees deposited in both the Geology and Geophysics Account and the Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Fund. Under current law, the California Architects Board licenses and regulates architects. Current law sunsets the operation of the Board on January 1, 2016. Under current law, the Landscape Architects Technical Committee (under the California Architects Board) licenses and regulates landscape architects. Current law sunsets the operation of the AB 177 (Bonilla) Page 2 of ? Committee on January 1, 2016. Proposed Law: AB 177 would extend the statutory sunset of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, the California Architects Board, and the Landscape Architects Technical Committee until January 1, 2020. In addition, the bill would make several minor changes to the operation of the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. Specifically, the bill would combine the Geology and Geophysics Account and the Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Fund (both overseen by the Board) into a new Professional Engineer's, Land Surveyor's, and Geologist's Fund. The bill would give the Board authority to discipline a licensee for failure to respond to a request for information stemming from a complaint. The bill would give the Board the authority to develop education standards for licensure as a geologist, geophysicist, or geologist-in-training, rather than relying exclusively on the degree awarded to an applicant. Staff Comments: Consistent with current practice for the Geology and Geophysics Account and the Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Fund, the bill would continuously appropriate the monies in the Professional Engineer's, Land Surveyor's, and Geologist's Fund. -- END --