[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6260801,"mediaKeyId","3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe","parentId",3126937,"title","Experts and industry groups tell commission professional licensing needs structural reform, clearer discipline and modernization","audioSeconds",1420,"startMs",3276000,"endMs",4696000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe&start=3276&end=4696","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe/thumbnail_3276000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6260801/California/Experts-and-industry-groups-tell-commission-professional-licensing-needs-structural-reform-clearer-discipline-and-modernization","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260801-48cdf58bf9b082fc3c402abc15d4ed2a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164077&Signature=G80CVizTXxO2Ht1nTiNBQhZtCPiwkNVMpxazdJX5abq33-tM-cpOgoLTjDyY3SNEflsCWCTSLvn3O0zpaQ-lOFE44c7SfEQiVSumoEVB2nXuUQ1iDPY-~HuCPRyU-e5BFyD6-6jAqg88gJlwwb06XImXgEiFiNTjfsNS7KDkYDaz0iqPRuRX2Nbgu1ajn525U4gc9Uspy1rRmm8lgKK9McqieMiv~j~XJ85~oSzVbzC6p4mtnya6CpRQnESO16XLYJXkyjCEmo54lnxAza5OmWkguBk3d57hjQ7xV1jTP9Pk5lUkXfJjvfijMocgkqGpwHwBujM2pPSn3ssH8iAlEQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Little Hoover Commission","date","2025-04-25T21:12:49.733Z","article","Rebecca Allensworth, an academic who has written a book on professional licensing, told the Little Hoover Commission the existing licensing board structure in many states, including California, “is broken.” Speaking remotely on April 24, Allensworth said the proposal to move boards under a new Business and Consumer Services Agency presents an opportunity to redesign regulation rather than merely reshuffle boxes.

“All 1 in 5 American workers have to have a professional license,” Allensworth said, adding that the current self‑regulatory model gives professional associations outsized control: “Professional licensing boards … are self regulatory. They're made up of members of the profession. They're kind of volunteering their time. They're not paid. They moonlight as their own regulators.” She warned that the combination of self‑governance and thin discipline can both raise barriers to entry and allow some dangerous or low‑quality providers to remain in practice.

Allensworth recommended structural approaches drawn from other jurisdictions: limit the dominance of professionals on rulemaking bodies, separate rulemaking from adjudication and disciplinary tribunals, require more specific criteria for “public members,” consolidate some boards to achieve economies of scale, and provide adequate funding for enforcement. She cited the United Kingdom’s medical oversight model and Vermont’s advisory‑board approach as examples that reduce profession‑dominated discipline.

Industry witnesses urged caution about sweeping deregulation but agreed reform and modernization are possible. Fred Jones, legal counsel for the Professional Beauty Federation of California, disputed blanket assertions that licensing in cosmetology is an entry barrier. “Don't talk to me about barriers to entry because we're not doing a very good job of erecting those barriers to protect our interests,” he said, noting about 2 percent of California adults — “over 600,000 individuals in California have a State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology license.” Jones argued that licensing protects consumers from harm and called for consolidation of overlapping state functions that affect cosmetology schools, apprenticeships and discipline.

Jason Fox, vice president of advocacy and public affairs for the California Society of Certified Public Accountants, told commissioners that accounting is a heavily regulated, evolving profession and that boards and professions can work collaboratively to modernize pathways into the field. Fox said the profession is exploring alternatives to traditional clock‑hour requirements and noted that licensing regulators and boards need support for faster regulatory changes, better technology, and cross‑jurisdictional coordination.

The transcript includes a dispute over cosmetology training hours. Industry witnesses said national averages and state changes inform that debate: “The average of all 50 states is 1500 hours,” Jones said, and he noted SB 803 reduced cosmetology clock hours in California to 1,000 three years earlier; industry representatives argued competency‑based pathways and stronger licensing exams would be preferable to arbitrary hour counts.

Commissioners asked detailed questions about whether discipline should be handled by administrative law judges or separate tribunals, about data on consumer harm tied to clock hours, and about examples of successful reform. Allensworth urged better empirical study of harms and costs, and she recommended statutory changes to board composition, discipline panels and funding mechanisms if the commission pursues deeper licensing reform during implementation of the reorganization.

Ending: Witnesses agreed the reorganization is a timely moment to modernize professional licensing. Advocates called for clearer board composition rules, better funded and independent disciplinary mechanisms, and technical upgrades and exam reforms to enable competency‑based licensing where appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Hearing on Governor Newsom's 2025 Government Reorganization Plan (Day 2)","oneSentenceSummary","A Vanderbilt law scholar and industry representatives told the Little Hoover Commission on April 24 that the state’s reorganization is a rare chance to redesign professional licensing—reducing self‑regulation, separating discipline from rulemaking, and modernizing exams and oversight—rather than simply moving boards into a new cabinet agency.","taxTitle","Little Hoover Commission, Other State Agencies, Executive, California","taxId",76737,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6260806,"County leaders say reorganization could help homelessness but urge statutory clarity and unified applications",1727,318000,2045000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe&start=318&end=2045","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe/thumbnail_318000.jpg","/articles/6260806/California/County-leaders-say-reorganization-could-help-homelessness-but-urge-statutory-clarity-and-unified-applications","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260806-3ba57a920d522477243f650b699adcad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164077&Signature=lQC3uNiK~BwQVrtyz5VHErPL3xyp-fqpJxFGj7lnilyfdTH5VPvOmnmDP3Wf5mWXGYm9gkw8~AdIkEqNsgNQV6ByGN1ngzzI5wtPV7RISVITcbzH10PKOielgM8QQAV4GYrGHYlivnQFH81Z87uhhy8Z3x7CtJHWzGKORiq16WeIhRG9meBa6dxJYlPYXHSWgpCfq6IQ~IS9V2hUVFwS94eKWcCHSCoGCDqP1ubm67K2N0thFDMvEX3xYOfAFaqcJ3T~z4lNi0R210XQ6XjhHjPXV2~0F4E7hjUNDbofGgMKlM2DgXsGKWHD-25BKF~0ujRLXw5TEuZDjapUES1YbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Graham Knauss, chief executive officer of the California State Association of Counties, told the Little Hoover Commission on April 24 that the governor's plan to split the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency could sharpen focus on housing and homelessness but would not by itself solve implementation problems.

Knauss said the proposed reorganization “is smart, and would provide much greater focus in the work that is being done” while praising Secretary Moss’s leadership. He told commissioners that counties are the primary service providers on housing and homelessness and that the state–county relationship in California is unusually interdependent.

The core concern, Knauss said, is legal and organizational: “There are 0 responsibilities in statute around who's supposed to do what related to homelessness,” he told commissioners. Without defined statutory responsibilities and funding aligned with those duties, Knauss said, no single entity can be held accountable for outcomes. “If 1 of the 3 parties fails, you know exactly who and what, and then they can be held accountable. Currently, we're there there's not real accountability because there aren't real responsibilities,” he said.

Knauss also described administrative burdens that slow delivery. He said many local programs require multiple separate applications and reporting streams: “In Monterey County…they have a very successful rapid rehousing program. In order for them to fund that rapid rehousing program, it requires 8 different fund sources with 8 different applications, 4 different state departments, and all with different reporting requirements.” He urged the commission to consider pilots that would collapse multiple applications into a single unified form for homelessness and housing programs.

On timing and funding, Knauss said Proposition 1 dollars aimed at behavioral-health housing will begin moving in July but cautioned that Prop 1 does not serve all people experiencing homelessness. “The way that Proposition 1 is structured, if you are homeless and you do not have a behavioral health issue or significant substance abuse issue, Proposition 1 is not going to do anything for you,” he said, adding that the housing funds in Prop 1 focus on certain populations and must be paired with process and statutory fixes to speed project approvals.

Commissioners pressed Knauss on practical next steps. He said CSAC and nine counties have a pilot-ready proposal that would create a single unified application for homelessness funding, but it would require statutory change and a legislative vehicle (for example, a trailer bill or other statutory language) to implement. Knauss pointed to the Housing and Homelessness Accountability Program (HAP) as an example of a relatively flexible funding pot, noting HAP’s utility while adding that it is not a statutory definition of responsibilities.

Knauss repeatedly emphasized local variation: some counties (San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus/Modesto, Riverside) have developed local arrangements that clarify roles and achieve measurable progress, but those models are not yet statewide. He told the commission that the reorganization provides “an opportunity to create a reset” but only if the legislature and administration also set clear responsibilities, align funding, and give local partners flexibility.

The hearing moved on to other witnesses after Knauss concluded; commissioners indicated interest in follow-up written material and possible additional hearings to examine pilot language and statutory options.

Ending: County representatives told the commission they back the idea of a specialized agency for housing and homelessness, but they urged statutory clarity — defined roles for state, cities and counties — and simpler, consolidated application and reporting processes before Californians will see consistent, measurable reductions in street homelessness.","California counties told the Little Hoover Commission that splitting the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency could improve focus on housing and homelessness, but county leaders said state law must define responsibilities, align funding and simplify applications to produce results on street homelessness.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6260796,"Consumer advocates urge stronger state financial oversight if federal protections are reduced",620,7980000,8600000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe&start=7980&end=8600","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3126937-45bdd97dce054fa8291a357333cadbbe/thumbnail_7980000.jpg","/articles/6260796/California/Consumer-advocates-urge-stronger-state-financial-oversight-if-federal-protections-are-reduced","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6260796-7379285051864e6d5db21430db4c089f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771164077&Signature=LZbetbpntdGYzPzzAEc-dBaVOHOlW0Bgl0PLgi0B6EBkjHD6bEzFLhLNm0P0B2q92kukOoGGLuarD5RRi74i7ZRIBYWoXDAlVDPjMhkK6-n00VUeAN8Ou2VEFziTNBRo87c2AUtK8WfZaHig5EvtbIKliEggxGpFJvvF8iIVSXoA0~h-old1UuwiJo0WLVV41y-C3TX97mKLMBZQ1aC-VhE-jgF8-XvTs7fBzegM4cpIAaMs8qBScrAp36F2z2L1wmzQn9w4jJqidPEJ4ZYFwDcEtNkBaaOIZSVj8wg6wu8wmJhyN4G-HkB0z2RouBL3qfxUFT-SDRDSTk1-JLcW7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Robert Harel, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, told the Little Hoover Commission on April 24 that the proposed reorganization should preserve and strengthen state consumer‑financial oversight—particularly the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI).

Harel noted that DFPI’s remit already includes state‑chartered banks and a wide range of nonbank financial services, and he urged the commission to consider resourcing DFPI to meet a changing enforcement landscape. “Last week, the new leadership at the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau … attempted to do an almost 90% reduction in force. That is to say, 1,483 of the people who work for the Federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were going to be laid off,” Harel said, arguing the state should be prepared to pick up consumer‑protection responsibilities that could be weakened at the federal level.

Harel said DFPI was created in 2020 to cover a broader set of financial products and services including fintech players and nonbank lenders, and that California should be ready to enforce consumer protections for new digital financial products. He pointed to the state’s work to license digital‑asset firms — “AB 39” and related implementation — as an example of where DFPI will need to stand up new programs.

Harel also urged reexamination of functions inside the Department of Consumer Affairs, which he said has historically struggled in some areas to protect consumers — for example in oversight of private post‑secondary schools. He said reorganization offers an opportunity to refresh structural arrangements and ensure agencies have the funding, staffing and technical capacity to enforce consumer protections.

In response to commissioners’ questions about federal preemption and the limits of state authority over federally chartered institutions, Harel acknowledged those constraints but said state regulators already oversee significant activity—especially among state‑chartered banks, credit unions, and a broad range of licensed nonbank financial services—and that the shift in federal enforcement priorities increases the value of robust state enforcement.

Ending: Consumer advocates asked the commission to recommend that DFPI and the consumer protection elements of the reorganization be given the staffing, funding and statutory tools necessary to enforce consumer protection in an evolving, technology‑driven financial marketplace.","The executive director of the Consumer Federation of California told the Little Hoover Commission that the state’s Department of Financial Protection and Innovation should be resourced and prepared to fill gaps if federal consumer‑finance enforcement is curtailed, citing recent federal personnel cuts and new state crypto licensing mandates.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Experts and industry groups tell commission professional licensing needs structural reform, clearer discipline and modernization

County leaders say reorganization could help homelessness but urge statutory clarity and unified applications

Consumer advocates urge stronger state financial oversight if federal protections are reduced