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Enforcement report: complaint volume rises; board expands expert pool and tightens probation reporting
Summary
Consumer Protection Services reported a rise in complaints to 576 for FY24‑25, improved intake times, ongoing SharePoint workflow improvements, training for expert consultants and a decline in probation counts with a rise in noncompliance detection after new quarterly reporting requirements.
The board’s consumer protection and probation units reported increased complaint volumes for FY24‑25, workflow improvements using SharePoint, expanded expert training and changes in probation monitoring that reduced overall probation counts while highlighting compliance gaps.
Consumer protection update: CPS managers reported the board received 576 complaints in FY24‑25, a 13% increase from the prior fiscal year. Staff said intake performance is fast: the average number of days from receipt to case initiation and acknowledgment was two days this quarter (target nine days). The CPS unit has implemented a SharePoint dashboard for disciplinary actions, case initiation, expert consultant task orders and executive approvals to centralize workflow and reduce email-based handoffs.
Investigation timelines and performance: For cases that did not go to the Attorney General’s Office, the average case age was 154 days this quarter (target 180). Cases referred to the AG that were finalized this quarter averaged 676 days from receipt to closure (target 540); staff said referral cycle times reflect involvement of multiple parties (complainant, licensee, Division of Investigation and AG/OAH processes).
Expert consultants: The board held an in‑person expert consultant training on Sept. 22 and added eight new experts in addition to approximately 14 current experts who attended; the manager reported the active expert pool is about 50. Experts are compensated $100 per hour for report work and $150 per hour when required to testify or prepare with the deputy attorney general; travel time and mileage are reimbursed. Staff said experts typically handle about two to five cases per year on average, with some geographic or subspecialty concentration.
Probation monitoring: The probation unit reported a decline in total licensees on probation from 66 to 61 during FY24‑25. As of June 30 there were 44 probationers actively working in California and 17 tolling (six out of state, 11 in state). Ten active probationers (about 23%) were enrolled in the board’s substance‑abuse rehabilitation program, Premier. The unit reported three minor noncompliance instances this quarter (missed quarterly interviews). Staff said the recent increase in recorded noncompliance stems in part from a 2023 change requiring quarterly reporting by tolling probationers; when staff started enforcing that requirement they discovered many long‑tolling probationers had not been submitting reports or attending interviews.
Why it matters: CPS said centralizing workflows and expanding the expert panel improves evidence collection and case quality while more active probation monitoring and better data allow the board to identify and resolve long‑tolling cases.
What’s next: Staff will continue outreach for experts, schedule periodic trainings (the board intends in‑person training on a rotating north/south cadence as resources allow), integrate approval‑agency course catalogs into licensing databases and monitor probation compliance.
