5650.5. (a) Pursuant to Section 144, the board has the authority to obtain and review criminal offender record information. The information obtained as a result of the fingerprinting shall be used in accordance with Section 11105 of the Penal Code to determine whether the applicant is subject to denial, suspension, or revocation of a license pursuant to Division 1.5 (commencing with Section 475) or Section 5660, 5675, or 5676.
(b) As a condition of application for a license, each applicant shall provide to the Department of Justice a full set of fingerprints for the purpose of conducting a criminal history record check and to undergo a state- and federal- level criminal offender record information search conducted through the Department of Justice, as follows:
(1) The Department of Consumer Affairs, California Architects Board shall electronically submit to the Department of Justice fingerprint images and related information required by the Department of Justice of all landscape architect license applicants pursuant to subdivision (u) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code, as defined by Section 5615, for the purpose of obtaining information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests and state or federal convictions and also information as to the existence and content of a record of state or federal arrests for which the Department of Justice establishes that the person is free on bail or on their recognizance pending trial or appeal.
(2) When received, the Department of Justice shall transmit fingerprint images and related information received pursuant to this section, to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of obtaining a federal criminal history records check. The Department of Justice shall review the information returned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and compile and disseminate a response to the California Architects Board.
(3) The Department of Justice shall provide a state or federal response to the California Architects Board pursuant to subdivision (p) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code.
(4) The California Architects Board shall request from the Department of Justice subsequent notification service, as provided pursuant to Section 11105.2 of the Penal Code, for persons described in paragraph (1).
(5) The Department of Justice shall charge the applicant a fee sufficient to cover the cost of processing the request described in this subdivision.
(c) The applicant shall certify, under penalty of perjury, when applying for a license whether the applicant’s fingerprints have been furnished to the Department of Justice in compliance with this section.
(d) Failure to comply with the requirements of this section renders the application for a license incomplete, and the application shall not be considered until the applicant demonstrates compliance with all requirements of this section.
(e) Notwithstanding any other law, the results of any criminal offender record information request by either state or federal law enforcement authorities shall not be released by the board except in accordance with state and federal requirements.
(f) As used in this section, the term “applicant” shall be limited to an initial applicant who has never been registered or licensed by the board or to an applicant for a new licensure or registration category.
(g) As a condition of petitioning the board for reinstatement of a revoked or surrendered license, an applicant shall comply with subdivision (a).
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 367, Sec. 14. (SB 607) Effective January 1, 2022.)