Insurance agents: prelicensing education.

Assembly Member Michelle Rodriguez proposes changes to California's insurance agent licensing requirements that would reduce prelicensing education hours from 20 to 12 and eliminate associated fees. The revised requirements would apply to property broker-agents, casualty broker-agents, life agents, accident and health agents, personal lines broker-agents, and limited lines automobile insurance agents.

The bill maintains the curriculum board's role in developing and overseeing course content, while expanding its scope to include commercial earthquake risk management education. The 12-hour requirement focuses on ethics and insurance code compliance, with one hour dedicated to insurance fraud prevention. For agents seeking multiple license types, only one ethics course completion would be required.

Current continuing education mandates remain unchanged, with licensed agents needing to complete 24 hours of instruction, including three hours of ethics training, prior to license renewal. The bill preserves existing requirements for specialized coverage, such as the additional training needed for agents selling 24-hour care coverage.

The legislation also modifies fee structures for course providers, establishing standardized charges for certification applications and renewals. These certifications would remain valid for 24-month periods, with the curriculum board maintaining authority over provider and instructor standards. The Department of Insurance retains oversight powers, including the ability to rescind course approvals or impose penalties for non-compliance.