Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Assembly committee advances autism provider code cleanup, online marketplace liability bill and contractor fine increases
Loading...
Summary
The Assembly Business and Professions Committee advanced three measures Wednesday that would relocate autism-service provider qualifications into the Business and Professions Code, create liability for online platforms that facilitate sales of illicit cannabis or intoxicating hemp products, and raise minimum contractor-enforcement fines.
The Assembly Business and Professions Committee advanced three measures Wednesday: SB402, which relocates qualified autism service provider (QASP) qualifications into the Business and Professions Code; SB378, which would create civil liability for online platforms that facilitate sales of illicit cannabis and intoxicating hemp products; and SB779, which raises minimum enforcement fines for contractor violations and increases the Contractors State License Board’s reserve cap.
SB402, by Senator Valadares, will move existing provider-qualification language for qualified autism service providers, qualified autism service professionals and paraprofessionals from the Health and Safety Code and Insurance Code into the Business and Professions Code without changing the current qualifications. “This bill simply brings parity for all providers,” Senator Valadares said in opening remarks. Supporters, including Penny Schenken of the California Association for Behavior Analysis and Melissa Cortez of the Council of Autism Service Providers, said the move is a technical alignment that places QASP qualifications alongside other healing-arts professions and “will not create new regulatory burdens.” Claire Kerrigan, testifying for the Autism Business Association, opposed the bill’s practical benefit, saying the measure “does not seem to offer measurable benefits to the very community it seeks to serve” and urging further stakeholder collaboration. Anna Cuevas, a QASP certified by QABA, asked the committee to add QABA to the bill to ensure parity with the BACB credential. The committee voted to pass SB402 to the Committee on Health.
SB378, by Senator Wiener, would impose requirements on online platforms and create a private right of action where illegal intoxicating hemp or illicit cannabis products are sold or facilitated through those platforms. Wiener said the bill is intended to protect the state’s regulated cannabis market, public health and jobs by holding online marketplaces accountable for “bad actors” that sell untested or misbranded intoxicants without age verification. Kristen Heidelbach of UFCW Western States Council and Tiffany Devitt (author of a study the sponsors described as “The Great Hemp Hoax”) testified in support, saying many online sellers market products to children and ship untested or mislabeled goods. Opponents, including Rand Martin of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable and Jose Torres of TechNet, supported the bill’s intent but warned it is overly broad and risks punishing compliant “good actors” and sweeping in mapping services, payment apps, search engines, and other online intermediaries. Senator Wiener and several committee members said they plan refinements in later committees; the measure was passed to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection with the author’s commitment to continue working with stakeholders.
SB779, by Senator Archuleta and sponsored by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB), would set statutory minimum enforcement fines for contractor violations and raise CSLB’s fund-reserve cap from six months to 12 months. Rebecca May, representing CSLB, told the committee that maximum fines have been increased in recent years but minimums have not, leaving the statutory minimum for unlicensed activity at $200 since 1990. The bill would set a $500 minimum for general violations (where the maximum is $8,000) and $1,500 minimums for more serious violations, including unlicensed activity (where the maximum can be $30,000), and also increase CSLB’s reserve cap to help the agency withstand economic downturns. The committee passed SB779, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
The committee also moved several consent items, including SB344 (Weber Pearson) and SB652/Richardson (listed on the consent calendar), to appropriations as part of the consent vote recorded during the hearing.
Votes at a glance: all three principal bills were advanced out of committee on recorded votes and will proceed to additional committees for further consideration. The transcript records roll-call support from a majority of members present; the author and committee chair committed to follow-up negotiations and potential amendments in later committees.
Why it matters: SB402 alters where state law records professional qualifications for autism-service providers, which affects which committee has oversight over future policy or licensing changes. SB378 addresses an emerging enforcement gap for online sales of intoxicating hemp/cannabis-derived products that advocates say are bypassing testing, age checks and taxes; critics say the bill’s current scope risks collateral effects on legitimate online businesses and out-of-state hemp sellers. SB779 responds to consumer-protection concerns and agency financing by raising minimum penalties and reserve levels for the enforcement agency that oversees California contractors.
Next steps: SB402 now goes to the Committee on Health. SB378 goes to the Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, and SB779 moves to the Committee on Appropriations. Authors and stakeholders signaled continued negotiations on SB378 and on hemp-related definitions in AB8 and related measures.
