California Assembly Bill AB525 Introduced / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 525INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Holden FEBRUARY 23, 2015 An act to amend Section 7563 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to private investigators, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 525, as introduced, Holden. Private Investigators: fines. The Private Investigator Act provides for the licensure and regulation of private investigators by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services within the Department of Consumer Affairs and makes a violation of the licensing requirements a crime. The act authorizes the Director of Consumer Affairs to impose a civil penalty of no greater than $500 instead of suspending or revoking a license issued under the act for the violation of specified provisions if the director determines that the imposition of the civil penalty better serves the purposes of the act. This bill would increase that civil penalty to an amount no greater than $1,000 instead of $500. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vote: 2/3. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 7563 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read: 7563. The director, in lieu of suspending or revoking a license issued under this chapter for violations of Sections 7561.1, 7561.3, and 7561.4, may impose a civil penalty not to exceed  five hundred   one thousand  dollars ($500)   ($1,000)  upon a licensee, if the director determines that this action better serves the purposes of this chapter. SEC. 2. This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are: In order to enable the Director of Consumer Affairs to provide increased protection to consumers from unscrupulous private investigators at the earliest possible time it is necessary that this act take effect immediately.