Inventory of the Senate Business and Professions Committee Records

Rebecca Wendt, Justin Salenik, and Archives Staff
California State Archives
1020 "O" Street
Sacramento, California 95814
Phone: (916) 653-2246
Fax: (916) 653-7363
Email: ArchivesWeb@sos.ca.gov
URL: http://www.sos.ca.gov/archives/
© 2006
California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Senate Business and Professions Committee Records

Collection number: See series description for LP numbers

California State Archives

Office of the Secretary of State

Sacramento, California
Processed by:
Rebecca Wendt, Justin Salenik, and Archives Staff
Date Completed:
October 2006
Encoded by:
Sara Roberson
© 2006 California Secretary of State. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Senate Senate Business and Professions Committee records
Dates: 1962-2004
Collection number: See series description for LP numbers
Creator: Senate Business and Professions Committee
Collection Size: 71 cubic feet
Repository: California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The Senate Business and Professions Committee Records consist of 71 cubic feet of records reflecting the activity of the committee in investigating and introducing legislation related to the California Business and Professions Code. The records cover the years, 1962-2004, with the bulk from 1970-2004, and are comprised of bill files, hearing files, subject files, investigation files, chronological correspondence files, and office files.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Administrative Information

Access

While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.

Publication Rights

For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives collections.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Senate Business and Professions Committee Records, LP[number]:[folder number], California State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.

Acquisition Information

The California State Archives acquired the Senate Business and Professions Committee records as required by state law.

Committee History

The creation of the Senate Business and Professions Committee was a byproduct of Senate Resolution 150 (1939) which implemented a study and revision of the Standing Rules of Senate. One outcome of this revision, intended to simplify and expedite Senate business, was a complete restructuring of Senate committees. Prior to 1939, Senate Rules called for forty standing committees so that each senator could serve as a committee chair. The new rules reduced the number of standing committees to twenty, most of them new creations, and brought committee duties in line with the organization of the California Code. The first day of existence for the Senate Business and Professions Committee was May 24, 1940, the day these new Senate Rules were read and adopted.
The charge of the newly created Senate Business and Professions Committee was to "investigate all bills amending the Business and Professions Code and uncodified legislation relating to the same subject." The committee was to be composed of eleven members but, when members were first appointed on January 20, 1941, the number was reduced to nine where it remained. A standing committee of the Senate, it was continually active since its creation although its purview contracted as the years progressed. It continued to review legislation amending and extending the Business and Professions codes. However, in 1955, the review of legislation relating to horseracing and intoxicating liquors was transferred to the Governmental Efficiency Committee. In 1972, oil, mining, geothermal, and forestry industries issues were specifically named as not being covered by the Business and Professions Committee but by the Natural Resources and Wildlife Committee. The committee was succeeded by the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee at the start of the 2005-2006 legislative session, per Senate Resolution 4.
For a complete list of committee chairs, please see Appendix A in Additional Information.

Additional Information

Scope and Content

The Senate Business and Professions Committee Records consist of 71 cubic feet of records reflecting the activity of the committee in investigating and introducing legislation related to the California Business and Professions Code. The records cover the years, 1962-2004, with the bulk from 1970-2004, and are comprised of bill files, hearing files, subject files, investigation files, chronological correspondence files, and office files. Although the committee began in 1940, records from the first twenty years are lacking in the Archives holdings. It is also anticipated that the Archives will receive further records from the Senate Business and Professions Committee. Researchers should check for recently received, unprocessed records of the committee.
A strength of the collection is information regarding the California Department of Consumer Affairs and the professional boards and other entities administered by this agency. Of particular interest to the researcher are files concerning licensing and treatment of foreign medical school graduates. Complaints about people masquerading as licensed doctors and inconsistent licensing practices for qualified doctors led to an ongoing investigation of the Board of Medical Quality Insurance (BMQA). Hearing files, bill files, and subject files all offer insight into this problem and proposed solutions. As a whole, the records clearly demonstrate how constituent concerns can directly impact legislation and they offer a view of the practices involved in reviewing and creating legislation as well as the committee process.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
California -- Legislature -- Senate-- Business and Professions Committee
California -- Board of Medical Quality Assurance

Related Collections at the California State Archives

Alan Short Papers
Alfred H. Song Papers
Alex P. Garcia Papers
Joseph B. Montoya Papers
Daniel E. Boatwright Papers
Richard G. Polanco Papers
Liz Figueroa Papers

Related Collections at Other Repositories

Records for Ed Fletcher, first Chair of the Committee, may be found in the Fletcher Family Papers, 1870-1955 at the Mandeville Special Collections Library; University of California San Diego Libraries 0175S; 9500 Gilman Drive; La Jolla, CA 92093-0175 and in the Papers of Colonel Ed Fletcher at the San Diego Historical Society Research Archives; Casa de Balboa, lower level; 1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101.

Oral Histories of Committee Chairs

Arthur H. Breed, Jr., Alameda County and the California Legislature: 1935-1958, Oral History Interview, conducted 1973 by Gabrielle Morris, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California for the Earl Warren Oral History Project.
Hugh M. Burns, Oral History Interview, conducted 1977-1980 by Gabrielle Morris, Regional Oral History Office, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, California for the Earl Warren Oral History Project.
Alfred H. Song, Oral History Interview, conducted 1986 by Raphael J. Sonenshein, Oral History Program, California State University, Fullerton for the California State Government Oral History Program.

File folders: See below for LP numbers

Series 1 Bill Files 1970-2004

Physical Description: 1199 file folders

Alternative Form of Materials Available

Microfilm copies of bill files are available for the years 1970-1986 where indicated with MF before the LP number.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by legislative session, then numerically by bill number.

Scope and Content Note

Any bill impacting the Business and Professions code is sent to the Committee for analysis. The Committee also authors bills intended to clarify or extend the code. Bill files created by the Senate Business and Professions Committee may include analyses, amendments and resolutions, author's statements, testimony, press releases, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and committee statements. Of particular interest are those bills relating to the medical profession; the oversight abilities of boards within the California Department of Consumer Affairs; licensure of professionals; real estate; weights and measures, including labeling and pricing; general business rights and regulations; and special business rights and regulations, including those impacting sports and sporting franchises.
Bill files from the 1993-1994 Legislative Session were not transferred to the California State Archives.
1970: SB11-SB836; SR236 (3ff) MF LP167:203-205
1971: SB28-SB1593; SR175 (7ff) MF LP167:206-212
1971: AB37-AB2987 (2ff) MF LP167:213-214
1972: Committee Rules; SB49-SB1492; SR62 (7ff) MF LP167:215-221
1972: AB30-AB2347; ACR80 (2ff) MF LP167:222-223
1973-1974: SB132-SB2453; SCR138; SR62 (22ff) MF LP167:225-242 MF LP168:1-4
1973-1974: AB119-AB4494; ACR181 (11ff) MF LP168:5-15
1975-1976: SB59-SB2179; SCR38; SB16XX; SB17XX (15ff) MF LP178:152-166
1975-1976: AB193-AB4485; ACR103; ACR144; AJR9 (12ff) MF LP178:167-178
1977-1978: SB32-SB2174; SCA26; SCA74 (14ff) MF LP195:53-66
1977-1978: AB18-AB3794; ACR21-ACR29 (15ff) MF LP195:67-81
1979-1980: SB2-SB2058; SR10 (20ff) MF LP215:170-189
1979-1980: AB67-AB3440; ACR140; AJR54 (17ff) MF LP215:190-206
1981-1982: SB6-SB2090; SCA34; SR7 (16ff) MF LP226:200A-214
1981-1982: AB46-AB3806 (19ff) MF LP226:215-233
1983-1984: SB2-SB2293; SCR62-SCR69; SJR12-SJR41; SR42 (30ff) MF LP235:234-240 MF LP242:67-85 MF LP326:1-4
1983-1984: AB13-AB4033; ACR20-ACR147; AJR33; AJR69; AB29X (13ff) MF LP242:86-98
1985-1986: SB14-SB2607; SCR18-SCR63 (36ff) MF LP251:71-104, LP326:5-6
1985-1986: AB88-AB4379; ACR57; ACR53; ACR122 (23ff) MF LP251:105-126, LP326:7
1987-1988: SB24-SB2870; SCR30; SR22 (52ff) LP279:1-51 LP326:8
1987-1988: AB32-AB4410 (28ff) LP279:52-79
1989-1990: SB37-SB2899 (35ff) LP326:9-43
1989-1990: AB32-AB4361; AJR61; AJR72 (58ff) LP326:44-101
1991-1992: SB56-SB2044 (34ff) LP326:102-135
1991-1992: AB91-AB3821; AJR77 (70ff) LP326:136-205
1995-1996: SB21-SB2100; SR28; "initiatives;" SB9 preprint (55ff) LP326:206-260
1995-1996: AB116-AB3473 (43ff) LP326:261-303
1997-1998: SB80-SB2239 (65ff) LP326:304-368
1997-1998: AB71-AB2802 (43ff) LP326:369-411
1999-2000: SB7-SB2184 (94ff) LP326:821-914
1999-2000: AB52-AB2899 (77ff) LP326:915-991
2001-2002: SB16-SB2059 (74ff) LP326:992-1065
2001-2002: AB201-AB3055 (52ff) LP326:1066-1117
2003-2004: SB12-SB1915; SJR24 (76ff) LP326:1118-1193
2003-2004: AB116-AB3023 (59ff) LP326:1194-1252
See Appendix B for LP numbers.

Series 2 Hearing Files 1962-1989

Physical Description: 110 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by date of hearing.

Access Information

Access to audiovisual material requires the production of use copies.

Scope and Content Note

Of particular interest are those files pertaining to the Department of Consumer Affairs, Board of Medical Quality Assurance and their treatment of foreign medical graduates. More information can be found on the Department of Consumer Affairs in the subject files and investigation files. Hearing files for Senate Business and Professions Committee may contain agendas, audiotapes, transcripts, testimony, background, and working files for regular session hearings as well as interim hearings and select joint hearings. Tapes have been separated to a cold-storage vault for preservation purposes and separation sheets are in the hearing files to alert the researcher to the existence of such tapes.
See Appendix B in Additional Series Information for a complete listing of hearing dates and subjects.

Additional Series Information

See Appendix C for LP numbers.

Series 3 Subject Files 1981-1989

Physical Description: 175 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject title.

Scope and Content Note

Subject files created by the Senate Business and Professions Committee may include correspondence, background materials, notes, reports, newspaper clippings, and subcommittee information. Of particular interest are those files related to the Board of Medical Quality Assurance and other Boards within the Consumer Affairs Department. Researchers may also be interested in files related to general health care and minority.
See Appendix C in Additional Series Information for a complete listing of subject file titles and dates.

Additional Series Information

LP326:590-643

Series 4 BMQA Investigation Files 1975-1989

Physical Description: 54 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Access Information

Due to personal information contained therein, case files regarding specific individuals are restricted.

Scope and Content Note

Investigation files contain background information on the Business and Professions Committee's ongoing investigation of the California Department of Consumer Affairs Board of Medical Quality Assurance (BMQA). The investigation centered around the Board's regulations and procedures for licensure and treatment of foreign and out-of-state medical graduates.
See Appendix D in Additional Series Information for a complete listing of the BMQA Investigation Files.

Additional Series Information

LP326:644-674

Series 5 Chronological Correspondence Files 1987-1994

Physical Description: 31 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Chronological files contain correspondence from the Chair of the Committee.
January-December, 1987 (12ff) LP326:644-655
January-November, 1988 (11ff) LP326:656-666
January-December, 1993-1994 (8ff) LP326:667-674
LP178:179-196

Series 6 Office Files 1986-1988

Physical Description: 31 file folders

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

Office files created by the Senate Business and Professions Committee may include correspondence, minutes, memos, reports, financial papers, and other documents relating to the day-to-day business operations of the committee. Of particular interest are the travel and field study files related to investigations of medical schools in the United States and abroad.
1975-1976: Administrative and correspondence files (18ff) LP178:179-196
1977-1978: Minutes and correspondence files (2ff) LP195:82-83
1984: Caribbean Field Study (1ff) LP326:675
1985: Field Studies (2ff) LP326:676-677
1956-1986: Resources (1ff) LP326:678
1985-1986: Claims Submitted (1ff) LP326:679
1986: UAG Field Study (1ff) LP326:680
1986: Travel (1ff) LP326:681
1986: Travel Claims (1ff) LP326:682
1987: Guadalajara Field Study (1ff) LP326:683
1987: Travel (2ff) LP326:684-685