(a) The board shall develop and maintain standards for the various classes of CCEOs that it designates. The standards for education, training, and certification shall be adopted by administrative rule of the board, and they shall be no less than as described in this chapter. CCEOs shall not have the power of arrest except as authorized by the city, county, or city and county charter, code, or regulation in which they operate. CCEOs shall not have access to summary criminal history information pursuant to this section, but persons regularly employed by a city, county, or city and county designated pursuant to this subdivision may be furnished state summary criminal history information upon a showing of compelling need pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 11105 of the Penal Code if the criteria specified in that section is otherwise met. A person may not be designated or certified as a CCEO under this section if that person is disqualified pursuant to the criteria set forth in Section 1029 of the Government Code.

(b) The board shall review all applications from cities, counties, cities and counties, and accredited educational institutions who seek to develop and provide education designed to qualify their students, participants, or employees as CCEOs. All applications that are submitted on approved forms that, subject to the board’s review and approval, demonstrate the equivalency of the standards adopted under the rules of the board shall qualify as Certified Code Enforcement Officer Education Program Providers (program providers). All program providers are subject to ongoing program review and evaluation under the board’s administrative rules. A program provider shall renew its program provider application and obtain approval under the board’s administrative rules no later than 36 months from the date of the last approval or else it shall lapse and be subject to renewal under the board’s administrative rules. All students, participants, or employees who successfully pass the minimum education and certification requirements of the program providers approved curriculum shall, subject to the same fees as other registered CCEOs under the board’s administrative rules, be granted status as CCEOs in an equivalent manner as applicants who attained certification or registration status through the CACEO educational and certification programs and academies.

(c) The development and perpetual advancement of code enforcement officer professional standards and actively providing related educational offerings that lead to increased professional competence and ethical behavior shall be the highest priority for the board in its licensing, certification, and disciplinary functions. Whenever the advancement of code enforcement officer professional standards and the provision of related educational offerings is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the former shall be paramount.

(Added by Stats. 2016, Ch. 246, Sec. 2. (AB 2228) Effective January 1, 2017.)