CaliforniaProfessions and vocations: contractors: home improvement contracts: prohibited business practices.
What it does
Existing law, the Contractors State License Law, defines and regulates the activities of contractors and provides for their licensure, regulation, and discipline by the Contractors State License Board within the Department of Consumer Affairs (department). That law requires a home improvement contract, as defined, to be in writing and include the contract amount, as specified, and prohibits any downpayment for that contract from exceeding the lesser of $1,000 or 10% of the contract amount. Except for a downpayment, existing law prohibits the contractor from requesting or accepting payment that exceeds the value of the work performed or material delivered.
More detail
Existing law makes the violation of these provisions a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $5,000, by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.
This bill would include in the definition of "home improvement" construction, erection, installation, replacement, or improvement of accessory dwelling units on residentially zoned property. The bill would also make a licensee, or an unlicensed person, who violates the above-described downpayment and payment prohibitions subject to revocation of their license and a civil penalty of at least $10,000 in the case of a licensee, or, if the person is unlicensed, subject to a citation and assessment of a civil penalty of at least $10,000.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Sep 3Ordered to inactive file at the request of Senator Niello.Latest
- Aug 29Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).Minor
- Aug 25In committee: Referred to suspense file.Minor
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- Aug 13In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
- Jul 9From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Jul 8
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 30). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Upper
- May 14Referred to Coms. on B. P. & E.D. and JUD.Minor
- May 1In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.Minor
- Vote recorded AB 559 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day. Result: pass.Lower
- May 1Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 76. Noes 0. Page 1386.)Passed Assembly
- Apr 24Read second time. Ordered to Consent Calendar.Minor
- Apr 23From committee: Do pass. To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 23).Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass. To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 8From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 1From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 17. Noes 0.) (April 1). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 28Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.Minor
- Mar 27From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on B. & P. Read second time and amended.Major
- Mar 3Referred to Coms. on B. & P. and JUD.Minor
- Feb 13From printer. May be heard in committee March 15.
- Feb 12Read first time. To print.Introduced