Consumer affairs.

The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development proposes comprehensive updates to California's consumer protection framework through modifications to professional licensing requirements, educational standards, and regulatory oversight mechanisms. The legislation makes technical amendments across multiple regulatory bodies while expanding transparency requirements and modernizing operational standards.

The bill revises online disclosure requirements for the Cemetery and Funeral Bureau to include information about licensed hydrolysis and reduction facilities. It adds the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners to agencies required to obtain fingerprints from license applicants for criminal background checks. For the Dental Board of California, it replaces the requirement for a registered dental hygienist member with a second registered dental assistant member.

In educational oversight, the bill redefines distance education as instruction transmitted to students at locations separate from faculty, rather than from the institution. It modifies teach-out provisions to address both institutional and program closures. The legislation requires private postsecondary institutions to maintain complete and accurate permanent student records and provide current catalogs and performance fact sheets prior to enrollment.

For professional licensing boards, the bill updates requirements for speech-language pathologists and audiologists, including examination standards and temporary licensing provisions. It modifies contractor licensing by exempting inactive licenses from workers' compensation requirements and revising fee assessment procedures for disciplinary actions. The legislation also clarifies that making investigative records available to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services does not violate attorney-client privilege or work product protections.

The bill eliminates outdated provisions, including requirements for the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education to establish certain task forces and evaluate specific reporting requirements. It also updates terminology, replacing "National Conference on Weights and Measures" with "National Council on Weights and Measures" throughout relevant sections.