Legislation and Regulations Update
Legislation
Several legislative proposals that could affect the automotive repair industry have been introduced this year, including Assembly Bill (AB) 294 (Santiago) and AB 471 (Low). Given the nature of the legislative process, the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) recommends contacting your trade association or visiting www.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov for further information regarding these and other legislative proposals.
Regulations
Rehabilitation and Substantial Relationship Criteria
As required by Assembly Bill 2138 (Chiu, Chapter 995, Statutes of 2018), BAR adopted regulations reducing barriers to licensure for individuals with prior criminal convictions, which may reduce recidivism and provide economic opportunity to California's residents. In addition, the regulations improve clarity, transparency, and consistency for applicants, licensees, and registrants in BAR's use of their criminal histories. Further, by reducing barriers to licensure, BAR anticipates benefits to consumers who may have greater access to licensed professionals.
The regulatory proposal was approved by the Office of Administrative Law and became effective on February 18, 2021.
Regulatory documents and additional information are available on the Regulatory Actions page at www.bar.ca.gov.