[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6251993,"mediaKeyId","3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef","parentId",3191727,"title","Advisory council briefed on bills affecting licensing, labeling and advisory meeting rules; workshops planned for February","audioSeconds",1210,"startMs",3650000,"endMs",4860000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef&start=3650&end=4860","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef/thumbnail_3650000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6251993/California/Advisory-council-briefed-on-bills-affecting-licensing-labeling-and-advisory-meeting-rules-workshops-planned-for-February","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251993-bfbc7b7ff7bbc329248b63b41794acb9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770491114&Signature=MGKopS~wy8l0Ug4FfOyv6MjIBbiiobMznmuApTZkHmWB6O0r1uQvujvOI31IalMuuzQ2yE-pqABBPOpkJoArCjDj2KhtO1VgqF4gNsv5RcBgQLhyz~PKzVZ6n12yKhCEYVGe6gIovHhIZ4CaEWl7yvl4p4jGm8WkJNhGxwd9qvThCcg6XLhODC6OZ6apY4HOmNFFc7ZlFFygCMEMpYz26S4D1iQZBtUG8gn-Wbf26xQN5CcexxiZd2fIi-SbKNW9PP5lnHcZJMJIjh4cVhEK3DwzDk90W42NoCoAs6e-Zf~jeSy-lERS4bfk~pdM8RVkJiMh4M5J1AFS-vJm6Kx6JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bureau of Household Goods and Services","date","2025-05-05T17:25:18.193Z","article","Legislative affairs staff briefed the advisory council on state and federal legislation and how it will affect bureau operations, regulatory drafting and public participation.

Key bills and impacts. Yofana Lamar, the legislative analyst, summarized several measures: AB 2138 (changes to how criminal history can be used in licensing decisions, including a seven‑year limitation and a requirement that programs report data and publish it on the department website), AB 2198 (budget/fiscal reporting for special funds), AB 2958 (amended teleconference/meeting rules that create an alternative notice/remote participation option with specific 24‑hour notice and primary‑location requirements), and AB 2998 (a prohibition on certain flame retardant chemicals above a parts‑per‑million threshold and a requirement for the International Sleep Products Association to survey mattress producers and report nonrespondents). Lamar said some programs in the department were excluded from the \"ban the box\" elements of AB 2138 because they routinely fingerprin t applicants; the bureau retained application questions about criminal history for the time being.

Regulatory and meeting process implications. Staff noted AB 2958’s alternative teleconference approach requires a 24‑hour public notice of remote participation and a designated primary physical location with a quorum present; remote participants whose plans change and who fail to meet the notice requirement may not be allowed to participate. Lamar said the department will provide a regulatory timeline (draft regs by February for AB 2138 implementation where applicable) and that bureau staff will work on any necessary regulatory changes related to the bureau’s name change and other statutory amendments.

Flame retardant law and mattress industry survey. The council discussed AB 2998 (state restriction on flame retardants), which authorizes the bureau to publish lists of products that cannot be sold when they exceed thresholds and extends SB 1019 chemistry testing to juvenile products and other categories. The bill requires ISPA (International Sleep Products Association) to survey mattress producers starting January 31, 2020 and report nonrespondents; council members asked how the ISPA survey will capture non‑members and how the bureau will use survey results to identify products for testing and potential enforcement.

Why this matters: statutory changes affect application forms, the bureau’s regulatory timelines and disclosure requirements for manufacturers. Several bills include implementation timelines and reporting requirements that the bureau must incorporate into rulemaking and outreach.

Next steps: staff will publish workshop notices, draft regulatory materials and consult legal staff on the teleconference option’s effect on advisory meetings; the bureau will monitor federal proposals (a federal bill to align mattress standards was noted) and continue interagency coordination.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BEARHFTI Advisory Council Meeting - November 29, 2018","oneSentenceSummary","Legislative staff briefed the advisory council on bills that affect bureau licensing, meeting rules and flame‑retardant testing, and scheduled rulemaking workshops to implement changes.","taxTitle","Bureau of Household Goods and Services, Other State Agencies, Executive, California","taxId",76750,"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},6251997,"Bureau budget staff report strong fund reserves but warn FisCal reporting limits temporarily obscure full figures",615,2595000,3210000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef&start=2595&end=3210","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef/thumbnail_2595000.jpg","/articles/6251997/California/Bureau-budget-staff-report-strong-fund-reserves-but-warn-FisCal-reporting-limits-temporarily-obscure-full-figures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251997-32d78a4bc18428d9d91b7cc5aa590852/orig.mp4?Expires=1770491114&Signature=Y4irpSE-qmR1gLNd74qvr8boPB79jn64-AfphpFp95Tnn88aBGOjRnG~Ua8r6Jv-hZGucEV1BGg6Pytmiz35Hl0jPtYKHmr8j0IctO5gNupRCUKh~eus38I36lLjPUNsXhcNiGPDI4cE0ZvTvrquKMpTXcSpSQ~nR3Z56TF0-6dAH6vQAppj3H34u3y8dZjPCp7UxXLrbG17zFBk6nSbFv9c7RutuZrUfWebo4OLOYfKB1rxOa73hxPWPZfAv96W3focDJs2lWfE~EKG9bijmbx8FJzy-eZYUJo5yTEvBGiy2pE6nCA68H5liGdo839B~ZvlXr2~w5l6cCxXS4DXEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget staff told the advisory council the bureau’s special‑fund operations are in a healthy position but that state accounting system limitations (FisCal) currently constrain automated reporting. Paul McDermott, the bureau’s budget analyst, and Robert Dela Estreus (bureau budget manager) presented a three‑year average projection and year‑to‑date extractions while DCA resolves FisCal data issues.

Summary of fund positions. Using manual extracts and a three‑year averaging approach to compensate for incomplete system pulls, staff reported the following rough fund conditions: the electronic/appliance repair program (BEAR) was approximately 23 percent spent year‑to‑date with estimated reverted savings around $310,000; the home furnishings/thermal program (HEFTY) showed similar year‑to‑date spending and an estimated reverted savings near $100,000; and the household movers fund showed incomplete year‑to‑date extraction but staff said reserves are healthy and expected to rise as licensing and permit activity continues. Cumulatively, staff reported the bureau had reserves measured in months of operating funds (examples cited: about 14 months for one fund and about 7 months for another program in the examples given), and reminded the council that by law a bureau cannot retain more than 24 months in reserve.

Reporting limitations and next steps. Budget staff said the FisCal rollout has limited their ability to pull timely, detailed reports; as a workaround they used historical averages and manual extracts. They promised more formal numbers after the governor’s budget release (January 10) and committed to providing updated fund condition reports to the council. Staff also said fines and citation revenues are recorded and contribute to bureau enforcement funding but that formatted summaries are not routinely provided in advisory packets (they can be produced on request).

Why this matters: bureau reserves and accurate reporting determine staff capacity, enforcement operations and the ability to use funds for program improvements. Council members asked for clarification about how reserves are used and were told reserves are bureau cash balances held to support ongoing operations and not transferred to the general fund; staff noted law limits reserves to no more than 24 months and said the budget office typically monitors for a three‑month operating floor before raising concerns.

Next steps: budget staff will provide updated numbers once FisCal reporting improves and will continue to provide manual extracts in the interim. The bureau will work with council leadership on options if any fund approaches the 24‑month threshold.","Budget analysts briefed the advisory council on revenues, reserves and FisCal reporting limitations; the bureau holds several months of reserves across programs and staff said they will continue manual reconciliations until system reporting improves.",{"_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},6252002,"State lab accredited, reports flammability and labeling failure patterns; DTSC cooperation continues",540,1410000,1950000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef&start=1410&end=1950","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef/thumbnail_1410000.jpg","/articles/6252002/California/State-lab-accredited-reports-flammability-and-labeling-failure-patterns-DTSC-cooperation-continues","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252002-4c04ce70f18140e8976a34972e1e5fc8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770491114&Signature=g7oQ7m3ZJe29zFwUXm4WkR3obVp5gtydZr3cOQIV6h4s7AeKgJpG2UgDzPhO7RM4l0cz-Ywr2L-D3GpdsIDWfEykUf2qf20yO9zh1kc-~BiQLSp0uom7vQzmafyRbhw4aABkZ2f8xB8Veyf5EokIgfePKqJaGeTMBpKvmssJ1MujUr1~LhKDUKJTZ8Htxj~FJ7uJT7DqPnRoXKvZ4YkvwoQVuyXw~V7K1EJUVsjK9ERt5omg2b9ebKIvjAIBouZ2QqMtllqhUXdCtpHQeviX1lb~GOnYU2vN5qnYPHmsu~VsxGoTC1xNaG-h5ONme8f3ZJYwWABacR~~oROxd0rQiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The bureau’s laboratory updated the advisory council on testing results and accreditation status, saying assessors commended record keeping and that the lab now holds ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for upholstery, furniture and bedding testing.

Lab manager Carrie Kathalee Fowle said the lab moved to the newer ISO 17025:2017 standard after assessments in 2016–2018 and that the accreditation is valid through October 31, 2020; the lab also expects NAVLAP assessment of its thermal‑insulation program in January. The assessor praised the bureau’s procedures, sampling plans, calibration records and quality records.

Testing results and trends. Fowle presented recent test failure rates by category: a 12 percent fail rate on a small flammability sample set (50 samples) in a selected table; a 15 percent fail rate on the federal mattress open‑flame standard (16 CFR 1633); a roughly 5–6 percent typical failure rate across the fiscal year for certain flammability tests; and a high labeling failure rate (around 80–85 percent) primarily for minor labeling issues such as terminology or format. She said only major labeling failures are forwarded to the compliance unit for enforcement and that labeling problems often result in corrective notices rather than citation action.

Flame retardant chemical testing and document review. The lab described its coordination with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) for chemical analyses and explained the bureau’s SB 1019‑driven document review process. Fowle said roughly 35 percent of selected samples are sent for DTSC analysis and that DTSC’s annual chemical list and methods are a moving target that manufacturers should check. In DTSC chemical tests the lab reported roughly an 11 percent failure rate; the bureau’s document review (where firms submit records to show components lack regulated flame retardants) also showed about an 11 percent failure rate, though the failing samples are not necessarily the same.

Consumer and worker safety in the lab. The lab manager described on‑site safety controls for sample cutting and handling — personal protective equipment and a vacuum system for the foam saw — and said most foam waste is bagged and disposed under contract. Accreditation assessors reviewed those safety, calibration and QA practices as part of their evaluation.

Labeling and federal coordination. Council members and staff discussed the relationship between state testing and federal efforts. The bureau said it follows federal mattress testing methods (16 CFR 1633 current version) and forwards failures to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for possible additional action. Staff said it will discuss labeling changes and SB 2998 (state law restricting flame retardants) at upcoming workshops.

Why this matters: accreditation strengthens the legal and technical defensibility of lab results used for enforcement; the lab’s fail rates and DTSC analysis guide what products go to compliance and what documentation manufacturers must provide.

Next steps: the bureau will continue DTSC coordination, send samples for analysis and host public workshops in February about labeling and mover regulations.","The bureau’s lab earned ISO 17025:2017 accreditation, reported varying flammability fail rates across product categories and said it will continue DTSC chemical analyses and document review under SB 1019 and related testing programs.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6252006,"Bureau reports surge in household-mover permits and expands exams while enforcement targets unlicensed operators",5598,462000,6060000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef&start=462&end=6060","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3191727-32466f5eb884efd8f38de35662e7a5ef/thumbnail_462000.jpg","/articles/6252006/California/Bureau-reports-surge-in-household-mover-permits-and-expands-exams-while-enforcement-targets-unlicensed-operators","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252006-a8e6cb6c3b90b0aa940bed9fe2ac01a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770491114&Signature=XDIb977mHteWXEnPF8P927gySS3bktI0od0gUVeaFfTwAqD1tgl75wL4n57xhGDFu1rWyVRgsWsIuS~LHbJpVApmnEVTeFIKYEVcIShoN6OZAsML5xZM8y1W0WrS9WUWaBUj5wSII3VVLAtd2JZWmPo2l44HkMEuDTD2v5~BovsRWpLD1mvpXQKlIxdDcSAKLL5XddmT3uBWGMus5obcbFe~qouyro-Mh8RoDaDVTS3WFBPCiFhmRfB3e5YCXH-KXtI7xY08-7mE2MzC4uqPFOrryTPcMJqMK8HgwvsSWsP65kFgycgPz8HzS8nXUvMz6ASg-3xqSefVcZAtZdLJsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation reported increased activity in the newly added household movers program at its February advisory council meeting, including more permits issued, new proctored exam sites and stepped-up enforcement targeting unlicensed carriers.

License and exam updates were the most immediate items. Licensing manager Karen Skelton said the bureau began issuing household mover permits in recent months and had 936 active household mover permits in September, with 25 permits issued since July 1. Skelton told the council the bureau administered 36 mover exams since July 1 and reported a 64 percent pass rate on those exams. Jacqueline Castro, who oversees the mover program implementation, said the bureau contracted PSI Testing Centers to proctor mover exams in Southern California (Burbank, Riverside and San Diego), while Northern California testing continues to be administered in‑house. Castro said the bureau expects to post a revised mover application packet online next year and plans workshops to help applicants complete forms and prepare for testing.

Enforcement officials described a rise in complaints tied to household moves and new investigative activity. Compliance staff reported 128 household mover complaints (data current through the end of October), including 36 classified as loss or damage and 36 listed as \"hold hostage\" complaints. Supervising investigator Jonathan Sabine said the investigations unit was actively handling 153 home mover cases and that the majority of active investigations involve unlicensed operators. Sabine said the bureau has issued cease‑and‑desist letters, investigative subpoenas to third parties to uncover concealed web registration information, and forwarded some matters to federal agencies and one district attorney’s office.

Council members pressed staff for additional data and outcomes. Members asked how many complaints involved unlicensed carriers (staff said a majority of hold‑hostage tips involve unlicensed movers but the exact split was not available in the meeting), and whether fines and citation amounts were tracked (staff said citation amounts and records exist and can be produced but are not typically summarized in advisory meeting materials). The bureau said fines are monetary and that fines paid contribute to bureau enforcement funding.

Regulatory and outreach schedule. Diana Godinez in the policy unit said the bureau will hold public workshops to develop household movers regulations on February 7 and labeling workshops on February 5; both will include teleconference options. Staff said materials and locations will be posted to the bureau website and to the interested‑parties list. The bureau also said it will roll out an outreach campaign in January to coincide with its official name change to the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS).

Federal coordination and operational partnerships. Investigators described outreach to federal counterparts. Sabine and other staff said the bureau has been in contact with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to share investigative information and to seek assistance when cases cross state lines, and warned that partnership details (for example how revenue or fines would be handled in interstate cases) need negotiated agreements. Council members advised caution on physical partnerships with FMCSA where on‑the‑ground resources may be limited.

Why this matters: household moves generate consumer complaints with real financial consequences when goods are withheld. The bureau is combining licensing, exams, enforcement and interagency coordination as it brings the program fully online and builds both outreach and regulatory frameworks.

Next steps: staff will publish workshop notices and materials, finalize the updated mover application packet and continue to administer exams at PSI sites in Southern California and at the bureau for Northern California.","At the bureau’s February advisory meeting, staff reported rising household-mover permit counts, new third‑party test sites and an expanding enforcement response to unlicensed movers and \"hold hostage\" complaints, and said regulations and outreach are scheduled for early February workshops.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Advisory council briefed on bills affecting licensing, labeling and advisory meeting rules; workshops planned for February

Bureau budget staff report strong fund reserves but warn FisCal reporting limits temporarily obscure full figures

State lab accredited, reports flammability and labeling failure patterns; DTSC cooperation continues

Bureau reports surge in household-mover permits and expands exams while enforcement targets unlicensed operators