Department of Real Estate and the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers: Bureau of Automotive Repair.

Senator Ashby's comprehensive real estate and automotive repair legislation extends key regulatory oversight periods while enhancing consumer protections and professional standards across both industries. The bill extends the Bureau of Automotive Repair's citation disclosure prevention program through January 2028 and prolongs legislative review periods for the Department of Real Estate and Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers until 2030.

The legislation strengthens real estate licensing requirements by mandating implicit bias training and expanded fair housing education. It also streamlines licensing for military personnel and their spouses through expedited processing and recognition of out-of-state credentials. New provisions require the Department of Real Estate to track and report annually on military-related licensing metrics.

For consumer protection, the bill refines the Consumer Recovery Account process by establishing clearer standards for payment eligibility and license suspensions. It requires clear and convincing evidence of misconduct for automatic license suspension upon payment from the account. The legislation also mandates fingerprint-based background checks through the Department of Justice for various license categories.

The Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers must conduct a feasibility study by December 2028 on mandatory licensing for real estate appraisers, including public meetings and stakeholder consultation. The study will examine current unregulated appraisal activities, compare other states' approaches, and provide recommendations for potential regulation in California.

The bill includes technical updates to modernize statutory language and align cross-references while maintaining existing consumer protections and professional oversight mechanisms. These changes preserve email privacy for licensees while ensuring effective departmental communications.