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<ns0:Id>20250AB__248599INT</ns0:Id>
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<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
<ns0:ActionDate>2026-02-20</ns0:ActionDate>
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<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Macedo</ns0:AuthorText>
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<ns0:Name>Macedo</ns0:Name>
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<ns0:Title> An act to amend Section 7524 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations. </ns0:Title>
<ns0:RelatingClause>professions and vocations</ns0:RelatingClause>
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<ns0:Subject>Bureau of Security and Investigative Services: client service agreements.</ns0:Subject>
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<html:p>Existing law establishes the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, under the direction of the Director of Consumer Affairs, within the Department of Consumer Affairs for the purpose of regulating, among other things, private investigators.</html:p>
<html:p>Existing law, the Private Investigator Act, requires the director to administer and enforce its provisions relating to the licensure and regulation of private investigators, and imposes certain duties on the bureau in this regard. Existing law makes a violation of the act, as specified, a crime. Existing law requires an agreement to provide services pursuant to those provisions to, among other things, be in writing. Existing law requires the initial client service agreement and any amendment, addendum, or other modification to the agreement to be legible and clearly indicate any other document
incorporated into it.</html:p>
<html:p>This bill would require a licensee to provide a copy of the initial client service agreement and any amendment, addendum, or other modification to the agreement in the preferred language of the client if the client primarily speaks a language other than English. The bill would specify that a violation of that provision is not a crime under the act.</html:p>
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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 7524 of the
<ns0:DocName>Business and Professions Code</ns0:DocName>
is amended to read:
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<ns0:Num>7524.</ns0:Num>
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(a)
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Every agreement to provide a service regulated by this chapter, including, but not limited to, contract agreements and investigative agreements, shall be in writing. An initial client service agreement shall contain, but not be limited to, the following:
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(1)
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The licensed private investigator’s name, business address, business telephone number, and license number.
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(2)
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A disclosure that private investigators are licensed and regulated by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services within the Department of Consumer Affairs.
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(3)
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Approximate start and completion dates of the work to be provided.
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(4)
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A description of the scope of the investigation or services to be provided. An agreement shall indicate whether or not a written report is to be provided to the client and the agreed upon method of delivery of that written report, as applicable.
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(5)
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All labor, services, and materials to be provided for the scope of work conducted by the private investigator.
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(6)
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An explanation of the fees agreed upon by the parties, including a breakdown of how the fees are assessed by the licensee.
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(7)
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Any other matters agreed upon by the parties.
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(b)
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Any amendment, addendum, or other modification to an initial client service agreement shall be in writing and is subject to the requirements of this
section. An amendment, addendum, or other modification shall include a description of the changes to the scope of work, start and completion dates, method of delivery, fees to be charged, and other matters agreed upon in the initial client service agreement, as applicable.
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(c)
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(1)
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The initial client service agreement and any amendment, addendum, or other modification to the agreement shall be legible and clearly indicate any other document incorporated into it.
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(2)
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Before any work commences, the client shall receive a signed copy of the written initial client service agreement and any amendment, addendum, or other modification to the agreement that was agreed to before commencement of the work.
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(3)
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Services detailed under the scope of work shall not be performed and charges shall not accrue
before written authorization to proceed is obtained from the client.
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(4)
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If a client primarily speaks a language other than English, the licensee shall provide a copy of the initial client service agreement and of any amendment, addendum, or other modification to the agreement in the preferred language of the client. Notwithstanding Section 7523, a violation of this paragraph is not a crime.
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(d)
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Upon completion of the investigation, any written report, as agreed upon by all parties and indicated in the agreement, shall be provided to the client within 30 days from the completion date and in accordance with the agreed upon delivery method.
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(e)
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The licensee shall maintain a legible copy of the signed agreement
and investigative findings, including any written report, for a minimum of two years. These records shall be made available for inspection by the bureau upon demand. Making these records available for inspection by the bureau shall not violate, waive, or extinguish the lawyer-client privilege under Article 3 (commencing with Section 950) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code, the attorney work product doctrine as restated in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 2018.010) of Title 4 of Part 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the duty to maintain the confidence and preserve the secrets of an attorney’s client under subdivision (e) of Section 6068, or the protections of any other rule or law related to attorney work product or the attorney-client privilege.
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