20250AB__074296ENR INTRODUCED 2025-02-18 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-13 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-07-02 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-09-10 PASSED_SENATE 2025-09-09 ENROLLED 2025-09-12 2025 AB ENR Introduced by Assembly Member Elhawary (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Bonta, Bryan, Gipson, Jackson, McKinnor, Sharp-Collins, and Wilson) (Principal coauthors: Senators Richardson, Smallwood-Cuevas, and Weber Pierson) (Coauthor: Assembly Member Lowenthal) LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Elhawary PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bonta PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Bryan PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Gipson PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Jackson PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY McKinnor PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Sharp-Collins PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Wilson PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR SENATE Richardson PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR SENATE Smallwood-Cuevas PRINCIPAL_COAUTHOR SENATE Weber Pierson COAUTHOR ASSEMBLY Lowenthal

An act to add and repeal

Section 115.7 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations. professions and vocations Department of Consumer Affairs: licensing: applicants who are descendants of slaves. Existing law establishes the Department of Consumer Affairs, which is composed of specified boards that license and regulate various professions.

Existing law requires those boards to expedite the licensure process for an applicant who holds a current license in another jurisdiction in the same profession or vocation and supplies evidence that they are married to or in a domestic partnership or other legal union with an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is assigned to a duty station in this state under official active duty military orders.

This bill would require those boards to expedite applications for applicants seeking licensure who are descendants of American slaves once a process to certify descendants of American slaves is implemented, as specified. This bill would make these provisions operative only if SB of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery, and would make these provisions operative when the certification process is implemented pursuant to that measure.

The bill would repeal these provisions years from the date on which they become operative or on January 1, 2032, whichever is earlier. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 115.7 is added to the Business and Professions Code , to read: 115.7. (

a) Notwithstanding any other law, once the process to certify descendants of American slaves is implemented by the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery pursuant to

Chapter 4 (commencing with

Section 15210) of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code that confirms an individual’s status as a descendant of an American slave, each board shall expedite applications for applicants seeking licensure who are descendants of American slaves. (

b) This

section shall become operative on the date that the certification process for the descendants of American Slaves is implemented by the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery pursuant to

Chapter 4 (commencing with

Section 15210) of Part of Division of Title of the Government Code. (

c) This

section shall remain in effect only for four years from the date on which this

section became operative, or until January 1, 2032, whichever is earlier, and as of that date is repealed. (

d) This

section shall become operative only if Senate Bill of the 2025–26 Regular Session is enacted establishing the Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery.