Bill Text: CA SB339 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Engineers, land surveyors, and geologists and geophysicists: nondisclosure agreements: reporting.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2019-07-30 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 145, Statutes of 2019. [SB339 Detail]
Download: California-2019-SB339-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Senate
April 29, 2019 |
|
Amended
IN
Senate
March 25, 2019 |
| Senate Bill | No. 339 |
| Introduced by Senator Jones |
February 19, 2019 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
This bill would prohibit a licensee who is retained as a expert from entering into a nondisclosure agreement, or similar agreement, if the agreement prohibits the licensee from reporting the occurrence of any of those specified events. Because a violation of this prohibition would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 8790.5 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:8790.5.
If a licensee who is retained as an expert witness enters into a nondisclosure agreement, that agreement shall not be construed to prevent the licensee from reporting a potential violation of the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act to the board.(a)A licensee shall report to the board in writing the occurrence of any of the following events that occurred on or after January 1, 2008, within 90 days of the date the licensee has knowledge of the event:
(1)The conviction of the licensee of any felony.
(2)The conviction of the licensee of any other crime that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a licensed land surveyor.
(3)A civil action settlement or administrative action resulting in a settlement against the licensee in any action alleging fraud, deceit, misrepresentation,
breach or violation of contract, negligence, incompetence, or recklessness by the licensee in the practice of land surveying if the amount or value of the settlement is greater than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
(4)A civil action judgment or binding arbitration award, or administrative action resulting in a judgment or binding arbitration award, against the licensee in any action alleging fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, breach or violation of contract, negligence, incompetence, or recklessness by the licensee in the practice of land surveying if the amount or value of the judgment or binding arbitration award is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or greater.
(b)The report required by subdivision (a) shall be signed by the licensee and set forth the facts that
constitute the reportable event. If the reportable event involves the action of an administrative agency or court, the report shall set forth the title of the matter, court or agency name, docket number, and the dates the reportable event occurred.
(c)A licensee shall promptly respond to oral or written inquiries from the board concerning the reportable events, including inquiries made by the board in conjunction with license renewal.
(d)Nothing in this section shall impose a duty upon any licensee to report to the board the occurrence of any of the events set forth in subdivision (a) either by or against any other licensee.
(e)Failure of a licensee to report to the board in the time and manner required by this section
shall be grounds for disciplinary action.
(f)For purposes of this section, a conviction includes the initial plea, verdict, or finding of guilt; a plea of no contest; or pronouncement of sentence by a trial court even though the conviction may not be final or sentence actually imposed until all appeals are exhausted.
(g)A licensee who is retained as a expert shall not enter into a nondisclosure agreement, or similar agreement, if the agreement prohibits the licensee from reporting the occurrence of any of the events described in subdivision (a) to the board.
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.
