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DCA outlines wildfire fee relief, budget reorganization and staff moves
Summary
Ryan Tacher, with the Department of Consumer Affairs, told the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education advisory committee that Governor Newsom's executive order N-15-25 grants fee deferrals and other relief to licensees in wildfire-impacted ZIP codes and that the governor's proposed 2025-26 budget includes a proposal to create a consumer protection agency.
Ryan Tacher, a legislative office representative for the Department of Consumer Affairs, told the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) advisory committee that Governor Gavin Newsom's January executive order N-15-25 provides fee deferrals and other immediate relief for DCA licensees in wildfire-impacted areas.
"Licensees or institutions whose licenses expire between January 1 and July 1, 2025 will be granted a one‑year extension to pay their renewal fee if their business or residence address or institution address is in certain ZIP codes impacted by the fires," Tacher said, summarizing the executive order's provisions for BPPE-licensed institutions.
Tacher said the order also waives charges for duplicate or replacement licenses or wall certificates through Jan. 7, 2026, and suspends delinquency fees for impacted areas until July 1, 2025. He said DCA had met with board and bureau leadership on Jan. 29 to discuss implementation and that the agency has updated board websites, prepared consistent messaging, produced database landing pages to notify licensees at renewal, and is distributing a list of impacted licensees for outreach.
The DCA representative directed licensees and survivors to a DCA disaster help center page at www.dca.ca.gov and to a dedicated toll-free number and email for assistance. "DCA has a dedicated toll free number ... and an email, calfires@dca.ca.gov, available for fire survivors needing assistance," he said.
Tacher also briefed the committee on the governor's proposed 2025-26 state budget, which the committee was told includes eight budget change proposals for DCA boards and bureaus and a high-level reorganization proposal to form a California Housing and Homeless Agency and a separate consumer protection agency. "This is an extraordinary opportunity for DCA to better align with other consumer protection entities as one consumer protection agency," he told the committee, adding that the Little Hoover Commission and the Legislature will review the proposal in the spring.
Tacher closed by noting recent personnel changes in DCA's board and bureau relations office, naming two staff appointed to other state posts and thanking committee members for their work. Committee members asked no questions during the presentation, and no formal action was taken by the advisory committee on these updates.
Ending: The DCA briefing emphasized immediate administrative help for wildfire-affected licensees, a potential statewide reorganization that could change DCA's cabinet-level alignment, and short-term outreach and IT steps aimed at delivering the fee deferral and related assistance to affected institutions and licensees.
