Registered environmental health specialists.

Assembly Members Addis and Valencia spearhead a comprehensive reshaping of California’s environmental health certification, tying broader educational pathways and an expanded practice scope to a renewed governance framework for the registration program. The proposal would revise who may qualify to sit for the environmental health specialist examination, widen the definition of the practice to include body art and medical waste, extend the period of required supervision for trainees, and require public posting of the registry of specialists and trainees within a short timeframe after examinations.

Key mechanisms include a shift from a rigid equivalence requirement for basic science coursework to a more flexible, programmatic approach, with bachelor’s degree holders eligible to pursue an approved environmental health training plan that satisfies the committee. The plan must cover at least three primary elements from a specified list (such as food safety, solid and liquid waste, water quality, housing and institutions, recreational health, body art, and hazardous materials), with training allocated so that at least 20 percent of total hours concentrate in each of the three chosen primary elements and no less than 40 percent in the remaining elements. Training content may be delivered through field instruction, independent study, office training, lectures, and related activities, under supervision, and trainees may count experience gained with governmental or nonprofit entities toward the first-year requirement. The program requires ongoing reporting, including monthly narratives or schedules, and quarterly certification of training records, with a minimum field instruction threshold of 150 hours over the first six months.

Governance and implementation changes center on the Environmental Health Specialist Registration Committee, whose structure and leadership would be revised, with the State Environmental Health Director serving as executive officer. The bill would remove the prohibition on consecutive terms for committee members and adjust terms and appointment mechanisms; meetings would be required at least quarterly and could be held in person or virtually, with a simple majority of filled seats constituting a quorum. The committee would have authority to hold hearings and issue recommendations, and the department could designate a hearing agent as needed. In addition, the department would maintain a current registry of all registered environmental health specialists and trainees and publish it on its website within 90 days of an examination, ensuring public accessibility. The amendments preserve existing examination requirements, including a 90-day waiting period before reexamination after a failed attempt, while clarifying related administrative duties and records-keeping.