BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE RULES COMMITTEE SB 492
Office of Senate Floor Analyses
1020 N Street, Suite 524
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UNFINISHED BUSINESS
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Bill No: SB 492
Author: Rosenthal (D) and Kopp (I)
Amended: 7/22/97
Vote: 21
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SENATE GOVERNMENTAL ORG. COMMITTEE : 10-0, 4/15/97
AYES: Burton, Calderon, Greene, Karnette, Knight, Lewis,
Rosenthal, Thompson, Maddy, Dills
NOT VOTING: Hughes
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : 12-0, 5/29/97
AYES: Johnston, Alpert, Burton, Calderon, Johnson,
Karnette, Kelley, Lee, Leslie, McPherson, Mountjoy,
Vasconcellos
NOT VOTING: Dills
SENATE FLOOR : 38-0, 6/5/97
AYES: Alpert, Brulte, Burton, Calderon, Costa, Dills,
Greene, Hayden, Haynes, Hughes, Hurtt, Johannessen,
Johnson, Johnston, Karnette, Kelley, Knight, Kopp, Lee,
Leslie, Lewis, Lockyer, Maddy, McPherson, Monteith,
Mountjoy, O'Connell, Peace, Polanco, Rainey, Rosenthal,
Schiff, Sher, Solis, Thompson, Vasconcellos, Watson,
Wright
NOT VOTING: Ayala, Craven
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 62-10, 9/2/97 - See last page for vote
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SUBJECT : State agencies and regulatory boards: Internet
SOURCE : The author
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DIGEST : This bill requires certain specified entities
within the Department of Consumer Affairs; and the
Department of Real Estate, on or before January 1, 1999, to
provide public information, excluding personal information,
on the Internet relative to the status of every license
issued by the entity, including information relative to
suspensions and revocations of licenses issued by the state
agency or regulatory board and other related enforcement
action taken against persons, businesses, or facilities
subject to licensure or regulation by a state agency or
regulatory board, as specified.
Assembly Amendments (1) added language stating that the
information shall not include personal information,
including one's home address, telephone number, date of
birth, or social security number, and (2) made other
technical changes.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires various state agencies
to make information available to the public, as specified.
According to the author's office, this bill is intended to
provide the public efficient access to information on care
facilities and consumer related licensing information. The
author's office indicates that the information required to
be placed on the Internet is currently stored
electronically and considered public information.
This bill applies to the following state entities:
the Department of Real Estate, the Community Care Licensing
Division of the Department of Social Services and the
following entities within the Department of Consumer
Affairs: Board of Dental Examiners, Board of Optometry,
Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land
Surveyors, Board of Behavioral Science Examiners,
Contractors' State License Board, Bureau of Electronic and
Appliance Repair, Bureau of Automotive Repair, Structural
Pest Control Board, the Acupuncture Committee, the
cemetery program and the funeral program.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 1997-98 1998-99
1999-2000 Fund
Consumer Affairs 100
85 Special
Dept. Real Estate 25
15 Special
The Department of Real Estate estimates start-up costs of
$25,000 with $15,000 annual ongoing.
SUPPORT : (Verified 9/2/97)
Roofing Contractors Association of California
Bet Tzek of Los Angeles
Construction Industry Legislative Council
California Internet Industry Alliance
OPPOSITION : (Verified 9/2/97)
Department of Finance
Department of Consumer Affairs
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Proponents believe that this bill
will help consumers tremendously by giving them access to
instant information about business regulated by a state
agency. Proponents indicate that, for many consumers,
trying to get information about a licensee using the
current telephonic services is too difficult; therefore,
providing this information through the Internet will
provide consumers access to important information needed to
make sound consumer decisions.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Finance opposes this bill
arguing that, while it may be desirable to disclose this
information on the Internet, it has not been demonstrated
that current information is inadequate. Furthermore, not
all individuals have access to the Internet. Funds
provided by regulated industries should not be expended on
this project until the merits of the proposal have been
demonstrated.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aguiar, Alquist, Aroner, Baca, Baldwin, Battin,
Bordonaro, Bowen, Bowler, Brown, Campbell, Cardenas,
Cardoza, Cunneen, Davis, Ducheny, Escutia, Figueroa,
Firestone, Floyd, Frusetta, Gallegos, Goldsmith,
Granlund, Havice, Hertzberg, Honda, House, Keeley, Knox,
Kuehl, Kuykendall, Lempert, Leonard, Machado, Margett,
Martinez, Mazzoni, McClintock, Migden, Miller, Murray,
Napolitano, Ortiz, Pacheco, Papan, Perata, Prenter,
Richter, Scott, Shelley, Strom-Martin, Sweeney, Takasugi,
Thomson, Torlakson, Villaraigosa, Vincent, Washington,
Wayne, Wildman, Bustamante
NOES: Ackerman, Baugh, Brewer, Kaloogian, Leach,
Morrissey, Morrow, Olberg, Oller, Thompson
NOT VOTING: Alby, Ashburn, Caldera, Poochigian, Pringle,
Runner, Woods, Wright
DLW:nf 9/2/97 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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