Description and Jurisdiction of the Committee

The Senate Committee on Business, Professions and Economic Development is responsible for protecting California consumers from unethical and harmful professional and business practices and helping increase California’s local, national and global economic competitiveness. The committee has jurisdiction over and considers legislation that pertains to business, professional and trade practices, licensing and regulation (excluding attorneys, horseracing and alcoholic beverage sales) under the California Business and Professions Code, and specified segments of the Health and Safety Code and the Civil Code, as well as economic and community development and international trade. Specifically, the committee exercises oversight over a number of California’s professional regulatory boards, bureaus, and commissions under the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Real Estate, as well as general business practices, weights and measurements, and all aspects of state and local economic development; including small business development and operations, development and expansion of non-energy technologies and overseas markets, economic disaster relief and industrial innovation and research.