(a) (1) There is in the Department of Consumer Affairs a Bureau of Automotive Repair under the supervision and control of the director. The duty of enforcing and administering this chapter is vested in the chief who is responsible to the director. The director may adopt and enforce those rules and regulations that the director determines are reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter and declare the policy of the bureau, including a system for the issuance of citations for violations of this chapter as specified in Section 125.9.
(2) (A) On or after July 1, 2023, the director may include in the citation system a process for informal review of and recommendation on citations, including establishment of an informal citation conference conducted by a panel of independent representatives appointed by the chief. The informal citation conference panel shall consist of three members, with one representative each from the bureau, the public, and the automotive repair industry.
(B) (i) The director may include in the citation system a process for an automotive repair dealer, upon successful completion of remedial training conducted by a provider certified pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 9884.7, to prevent disclosure of the citation on the internet as provided in Section 27.
(ii) To be eligible for citation nondisclosure under this subparagraph, the automotive repair dealer shall not have attended remedial training in the prior 18-month period from the effective date of citation.
(iii) Any employee of the automotive repair dealer who was involved in the violation resulting in the bureau’s issuance of the citation also may be required by the bureau to attend remedial training with the automotive repair dealer to prevent disclosure of the citation.
(3) Rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this subdivision shall be adopted pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, the powers and duties of the bureau, as set forth in this article and under the Automotive Repair Act, shall be subject to review by the appropriate policy committees of the Legislature. In that review, the bureau shall have the burden of demonstrating a compelling public need for the continued existence of the bureau and its regulatory program, and that its function is the least restrictive regulation consistent with the public health, safety, and welfare.
(2) The review required by this subdivision shall be performed as if this chapter were scheduled to be repealed as of January 1, 2028.
(c) This section shall be effective only until July 1, 2026, and as of that date is repealed.
(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 372, Sec. 1) by Stats. 2023, Ch. 681, Sec. 4. (AB 1263) Effective January 1, 2024. Repealed as of July 1, 2026, by its own provisions. See later operative version, as amended by Sec. 5 of Stats. 2023, Ch. 681.)