Bill Text: CA AB3279 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: State Bar of California.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Enrolled) 2024-08-27 - Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 56. Noes 14.). [AB3279 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB3279-Amended.html
Amended
IN
Assembly
May 02, 2024 |
Introduced by Committee on Judiciary (Assembly Members Kalra (Chair), Bryan, Connolly, Haney, Maienschein, McKinnor, Pacheco, and Reyes) |
February 29, 2024 |
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NOBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 6016.2 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:6016.2.
(a) Each appointing authority may remove from office at any time any member of the board appointed by that authority for continued neglect of duties required by law, or for incompetence or unprofessional or dishonorable conduct.SECTION 1.SEC. 2.
Section 6031.5 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:6031.5.
(a) The California Lawyers Association and its activities shall not be funded with mandatory fees collected pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6140.SEC. 3.
Section 6060.7 of the Business and Professions Code is repealed.(a)From January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2007, law schools and law study degree programs shall be subject to the following:
(1)The examining committee shall be responsible for the approval, regulation, and oversight of degree-granting law schools that (A) exclusively offer bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees in law, such as juris doctor, and (B) do not meet the criteria set forth in Section 94750 of the Education Code. This paragraph does not apply to unaccredited law schools, which remain subject to the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education or its successor agency.
(2)If a law school that does not meet the criteria set forth in Section 94750 of the Education Code offers educational services other than bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate-degree programs in law, only the law school’s degree programs in law shall be subject to the approval, regulation, and oversight of the examining committee.
(b)On and after January 1, 2008, law schools and law study degree programs shall be subject to the following:
(1)The examining committee shall be responsible for the approval, regulation, and oversight of degree-granting law schools that (A) exclusively offer bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees in law, such as juris doctor, and (B) do not meet the criteria set forth in Section 94750 of the Education Code.
(2)If a law school that does not meet the criteria set forth in Section 94750 of the Education Code offers educational services other than bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate-degree programs in law, only the law school’s degree programs in law shall be subject to the approval, regulation, and oversight of the examining committee.
(3)If a nonlaw school that does not meet the criteria set forth in Section 94750 of the Education Code offers educational programs leading to a juris doctor (J.D.) degree, bachelor of laws (LL.B.) degree, or other law study degree, those programs shall be subject to the regulation and oversight of the examining committee. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to paralegal programs.
SEC. 4.
Section 6060.7 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:6060.7.
The examining committee shall be responsible for the approval, regulation, and oversight of degree-granting law schools that meet both of the following:SEC. 5.
Section 6060.10 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:6060.10.
(a) Commencing July 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the State Bar shall transmit to the Legislature a report detailing the number of complaints regarding access issues related to the binannual state bar exam detailed as follows:SEC. 6.
Section 6070.1 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:6070.1.
(a) For the purpose of subdivision (c) of Section 6070, “full-time employees of the State of California” shall include all licensees of the State Bar employed by the California State Legislature, regardless of the licensee’s official position classification.SEC. 7.
Section 6079.1 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:6079.1.
(a) The Supreme Court shall appoint a presiding judge of the State Bar Court. In addition, five hearing judges shall be appointed, two by the Supreme Court, one by the Governor, one by the Senate Committee on Rules, and one by the Speaker of the Assembly, to efficiently decide any and all regulatory matters pending before the Hearing Department of the State Bar Court. The presiding judge and all other judges of that department shall be appointed for a term of six years and may be reappointed for additional six-year terms. Any judge appointed under this section shall be subject to admonition, censure, removal, or retirement by the Supreme Court upon the same grounds as provided for judges of courts of record of this state.SEC. 8.
Section 6091.3 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read:6091.3.
(a) Commencing January 1, 2026, upon the establishment of a new client trust account associated with an attorney licensed to practice in California, the financial institution shall collect and retain within its books and records the attorney license number.SEC. 2.SEC. 9.
Section 6140 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:6140.
(a) The board shall fix the annual license fee for active licensees for 2025 at a sum not exceedingSEC. 10.
Section 6140.03 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:6140.03.
(a) The board shall increase each of the annual license fees fixed by Sections 6140 and 6141 by an additional forty-five dollars ($45), to be allocated only for the purposes established pursuant to Section 6033 and subdivision (b), except to the extent that a licensee elects not to support those activities.(d)This section shall become operative on January 1, 2023.