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Committee sends bill to Appropriations to ease prelicensing hour requirements for insurance producers
Summary
The Senate Insurance Committee voted 7-0 to pass AB 943 to the Appropriations Committee. The bill would remove most line-specific prelicensing hour requirements while keeping 12 hours of general education (including ethics); sponsors say it reduces barriers to licensure and preserves exam standards.
The Senate Insurance Committee voted 7-0 to pass Assembly Bill 943 to the Appropriations Committee. AB 943 would eliminate most line-specific, time-based prelicensing hour mandates for insurance producers while maintaining a 12-hour requirement of general education that includes ethics and California insurance code instruction.
"California's current insurance prelicensing requirements create unnecessary barriers to economic self reliance," Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez said in presenting the bill, adding that a review of standard curriculum showed "roughly 35% of the required content is redundant." Rodriguez told the committee the change is intended to help working parents, veterans and others who face scheduling and financial barriers to completing time-prescriptive classroom hours.
Supporters that testified included Matt Powers of the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies (ACLIC) and Naomi Pedro of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) California. "To be clear, this bill makes no changes to the state's licensure exam," Matt Powers said. Naomi Pedro said the exam will remain the final safeguard for consumer protection and argued the bill would broaden access to the profession without lowering exam standards.
Senator Becker, speaking as a former teacher, said she initially resisted reducing education requirements but supported the bill after confirming the 12-hour ethics requirement remains. The committee recorded a 7-0 vote to move AB 943 to the Appropriations Committee. The committee's minutes note the motion as "do pass to Appropriations Committee."
