(a) Whenever the holder of a credential issued by the state board or the Commission on Teacher Credentialing has been convicted of a sex offense, as defined in Section 44010, or controlled substance offense, as defined in Section 44011, the commission immediately shall suspend the credential. If the conviction is reversed and the holder is acquitted of the offense in a new trial or the charges against him or her are dismissed, the commission immediately shall terminate the suspension of the credential. When the conviction becomes final or when imposition of sentence is suspended, the commission immediately shall revoke the credential.

(b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (a) and Section 44009, if the holder of a credential enters a plea of nolo contendere for a violation of subdivision (d) of Section 647 of the Penal Code, the commission of a sex offense as defined in Section 44010, all credentials held by the individual shall be suspended until a final disposition regarding those credentials is made by the commission. Any action that the commission is permitted to take following a conviction may be taken after the time for appeal has elapsed, the judgment of conviction has been confirmed on appeal, or when an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence and the time of appeal has elapsed or the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, irrespective of a subsequent order pursuant to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code.

(2) The Legislature shall convene a working group of interested parties including, but not limited to, the commission, civil rights organizations, and organizations that represent teachers, administrators, county offices of education, school districts, school boards, and parents to study Sections 44010, 44011, and 44424, and to provide a report on its findings on or before December 1, 2009.

(c) Notwithstanding any other law, revocation shall be final without possibility of reinstatement of the credential if the conviction is for a felony sex offense, as defined in Section 44010, or a felony controlled substance offense, as defined in Section 44011, in which an element of the controlled substance offense is either the distribution to, or use of a controlled substance by, a minor.

(d) (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission immediately shall suspend the credential of any holder who is required to register as a sex offender pursuant to either of the following:

(A) Section 290 of the Penal Code.

(B) A law of any other state or of the United States when the underlying offense, if committed in this state, would require registration as a sex offender pursuant to Section 290 of the Penal Code.

(2) If the conviction requiring registration as a sex offender is reversed on appeal and the holder is acquitted at a new trial or if the charges against the holder are dismissed as a result of the reversal, upon notice, the commission shall immediately reinstate the credential.

(3) The commission immediately shall revoke a credential based on a conviction requiring registration as a sex offender when the time for appeal has elapsed, the judgment of conviction has been affirmed on appeal, or an order granting probation is made suspending the imposition of sentence and the time for appeal has elapsed.

(e) A credential holder whose credential has not been revoked pursuant to subdivision (a) as a result of a misdemeanor sex offense, as defined in Section 44010, that does not require registration as a sex offender as set forth in subdivision (c), may apply for reinstatement of his or her credential pursuant to Section 11522 of the Government Code if the accusation or information against the holder has been dismissed and he or she has been released from all disabilities and penalties resulting from the offense pursuant to Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code or the equivalent statute in another federal or state jurisdiction.

(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 577, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2009.)