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<ns0:Id>20250AB__243598AMD</ns0:Id>
<ns0:VersionNum>98</ns0:VersionNum>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:Action>
<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-03-16</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Chen</ns0:AuthorText>
<ns0:Authors>
<ns0:Legislator>
<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
<ns0:Name>Chen</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 8792 of, and to add Section 8759.1 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>professions</ns0:RelatingClause>
<ns0:GeneralSubject>
<ns0:Subject>Land surveyors.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law, the Professional Land Surveyors’ Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of land surveyors by the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists. The act prohibits a person from practicing land surveying unless appropriately licensed or specifically exempted from licensure. Under the act, a person who practices, or offers to practice, land surveying without applicable legal authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would
specify tiered penalties, including specified fines and jail time, for a first, 2nd, or 3rd conviction for practicing land surveying without legal authorization.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law requires a licensed land surveyor to use a written contract when contracting to provide professional services to a client pursuant to the act, except as specified.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require a licensed land surveyor who does not have professional liability insurance, before contracting to provide services, to inform the client in writing that the licensed land surveyor does not have professional liability insurance, and if the licensed land surveyor’s professional liability insurance policy lapses or they otherwise no longer have
professional liability insurance after contracting, to inform the client, as specified. Because a violation of the act is a crime, the bill would expand the scope of a crime and would therefore impose a state-mandated local program.</html:p>
<html:p>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.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.</html:p>
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<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
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<ns0:FiscalCommittee>YES</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
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<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
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<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
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Section 8759.1 is added to the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
, to read:
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<ns0:Num>8759.1.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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A licensed land surveyor who does not have professional liability insurance shall, before contracting to provide services pursuant to Section 8759, inform the client in writing that the licensed land surveyor does not have professional liability insurance.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
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If a licensed land surveyor’s professional liability insurance policy lapses or they otherwise no longer have professional liability insurance after contracting with a client, the licensed land surveyor shall inform the client in writing within 30 days of the date the licensed land surveyor knew or should have known that they no longer have professional liability insurance.
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<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
This section does not apply to a land
surveyor employed by a public agency who is engaged in the practice of land surveying for their public employer.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
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Section 8792 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>8792.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>A person who does any of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor:</html:p>
<html:p>
(a)
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Unless the person is exempt from licensure under this chapter, practices, or offers to practice, land surveying in this state without legal authorization. A violation of this subdivision is subject to the following penalties:
</html:p>
<html:p>
(1)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A first conviction is punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(2)
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A second conviction is punishable by a fine not exceeding fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(3)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
A third or subsequent conviction is punishable by a fine not less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(b)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Presents as their own the certificate of a land surveyor-in-training or the license of a professional land surveyor unless they are the person named on the certificate or the license.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(c)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Attempts to file as their own any
record of survey under the license of a professional land surveyor.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(d)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Gives false evidence of any kind to the board, or to any board member, in obtaining a certificate or a license.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(e)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Impersonates or uses the seal, signature, or license number of a professional land surveyor or who uses a false license number.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(f)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Impersonates or uses the certificate number of a land surveyor-in-training or who uses a false certificate.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(g)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Uses an expired, suspended, surrendered, or revoked certificate or license.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(h)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Represents themselves as, or uses the title of, professional land surveyor, or any other title whereby that person could be considered as practicing or offering to practice land
surveying, unless the person is correspondingly qualified by licensure as a land surveyor under this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(i)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Uses the title, or any combination of that title, of “professional land surveyor,” “licensed land surveyor,” “land surveyor,” or the titles specified in Sections 8751 and 8775, or “land surveyor-in-training,” or who makes use of any abbreviation of that title that might lead to the belief that the person is a licensed land surveyor or holds a certificate as a land surveyor-in-training, without being licensed or certified as required by this chapter.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(j)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Unless appropriately licensed, manages, or conducts as manager, proprietor, or agent, any place of business from which land surveying work is solicited, performed, or practiced, except as authorized pursuant to Section 6731.2.
</html:p>
<html:p>
(k)
<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
Violates any provision of
this chapter.
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<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
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<html:p>
No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII
<html:span class="ThinSpace"/>
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
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B of the California Constitution.
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