Many clients and potential clients of the law firm inquire about the impact expunging a criminal conviction will have on potential license discipline. The answer is that the expungement, while not a cure-all, is an excellent piece of evidence of rehabilitation that must be considered by the administrative law judge Read more…
Steven L. Simas, owner and founder of Simas & Associates, Ltd., is yet again hosting another Health Care workshop in Sacramento, California. The topic is the always important “Medical Records as a Defense to Your License to Practice”. The workshop will examine the California Medical Board’s standards for recordkeeping and Read more…
The Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which governs license discipline for almost all California licensing agencies, requires that the Licensee-Respondent file a Notice of Defense, which is equivalent to an answer, within 15 days after service of the Accusation. (Please note that Code of Civil Procedure section 1013 more than likely applies to the Read more…
California’s Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA), the department supervising almost all professional licensing agencies, boards, and bureaus throughout the state of California, has eliminated a number of renewal requirements for active duty military and their spouses/domestic partners. Most notable is the elimination of any fees associated with license renewal. The Read more…
On January 1, 2012, a new section was added to the Business and Professions Code which expanded mandated reporting for real estate licensees of certain events to the Department of Real Estate (DRE). The requirement, contained in section 10186.2 of the Business and Professions Code, provides that a real estate Read more…
If you are a veterinarian facing a citation from the California Veterinary Medical Board (Board), the following are five tips for evaluating the citation and determining its impact on the future of your practice: 1. Forget about the fine. Carefully review the language of the citation to see if it is Read more…
The California Board of Registered Nursing (“Board”) has announced via its website, that it will now be issuing citations and fines for licensees who fail to file a change of address with the Board within 30 days. While, California Code of Regulations section 1409.1 has long required nurses to change Read more…
Each year, hundreds of vendors clamor to do business with the State of California by way of the public contract or procurement process. While many State agencies have the authority to enter certain types of contracts on their own, the Department of General Services, Procurement Division, administers bids for large Read more…
On February 6, 2013, California Legislature Senator Cathleen Galgiani introduced Senate Bill (SB) 176 which would require all state agencies, boards, and commissions to publish a notice prior to any meeting date or report, provided the meeting or report is seeking public input on rulemaking. Formally, the bill would add section Read more…
The Medical Board of California is the first licensing board to adopt regulations for AB 2699, Bass (Chapter 270, Statutes of 2010). AB 2699 specifically provides an exemption from the licensure and regulation requirements for a health care practitioner licensed or certified in good standing in another state or states, who Read more…