(a) A licensee shall report to the registrar in writing within 90 days after the licensee has knowledge of any civil action resulting in a final judgment, executed settlement agreement, or final arbitration award in which the licensee is named as a defendant or cross-defendant, filed on or after January 1, 2019, that meets all of the following criteria:
(1) The action alleges fraud, deceit, negligence, breach of contract or express or implied warranty, misrepresentation, incompetence, recklessness, wrongful death, or strict liability by the act or omission of a licensee while acting in the capacity of a contractor, whether as a general contractor or as a specialty contractor.
(2) The amount or value of the judgment, settlement payment, or arbitration award for which the licensee is named as a defendant or cross-defendant, is one million dollars ($1,000,000) or greater, not including investigative costs or prior repairs performed by the licensee.
(3) The action is the result of a claim for damages to a property or person that allegedly resulted in a failure or condition that creates a substantial risk of a failure in the load bearing portions of a multifamily rental residential structure.
(4) The action is the result of a claim for damages to a property or person that was allegedly caused by a licensee’s construction, repair, alteration to, subtraction from, improvement of, moving, wrecking, or demolishing of, any part of a multifamily rental residential structure, either personally or by or through others.
(5) The action, if a civil action, has been designated by a court of competent jurisdiction as a “complex case” pursuant to rules 3.400 to 3.403, inclusive, of the California Rules of Court because it involves a claim of construction defect or insurance coverage arising out of a construction defect claim, pursuant to paragraph (2) or (7) of subdivision (c) of Rule 3.400 of the California Rules of Court.
(b) This section shall not apply to residential construction subject to any part of Title 7 (commencing with Section 895) of Part 2 of Division 2 of the Civil Code.
(c) In an action that meets the criteria of this section, in which more than one contractor is named as a defendant or cross-defendant, all contractors who are apportioned any liability either by the court or pursuant to an agreement between parties, shall report the action pursuant to subdivision (a). This subdivision does not apply to a contractor who is named as a defendant or cross-defendant, but is assigned liability of less than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in the action.
(d) The reports required by this section shall be signed by the licensee and shall set forth the license number of the licensee and the facts that constitute the reportable event. If the reportable event involves the action of a court, the report shall also set forth the following:
(1) The title of the matter.
(2) The court or agency name.
(3) The docket number.
(4) The claim or file number.
(5) The date on which the reportable event occurred.
(e) (1) The registrar or a designee shall review the reports required by this section. The registrar or designee shall return the report to the licensee and take no further action if, upon review, the registrar or a designee finds any of the following:
(A) The facts of the reportable event would not substantiate an allegation that a licensee has violated this chapter.
(B) There are reasonable grounds to believe that the public interest is sufficiently served by the existing resolution or disposition of the reportable event as reached by the parties to the action or by the court.
(C) Disciplinary action is unnecessary.
(2) Any report returned to a licensee pursuant to this subdivision shall be deemed to be a complaint resolved in favor of the licensee and the facts underlying the event as reported by the licensee shall not be subject to further review by the board, except upon receipt of an independent complaint involving the same underlying facts.
(3) If additional information is necessary to make the determination required by paragraph (1), the registrar or designee shall keep and regard the report as a complaint that shall be subject to Sections 7090 and 7091. The disclosure of any complaint referred to investigation pursuant to this section shall comply with the public disclosure provisions of Section 7124.6.
(f) Failure of a licensee to report to the registrar in the time and manner required by this section shall be grounds for disciplinary action. Criminal penalties shall not be imposed for a violation of this section.
(g) Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (e), nothing in this section is intended to limit the registrar’s authority on his or her motion, or upon the verified written complaint of another, to investigate the actions of a contractor as specified in Section 7090.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 514, Sec. 1. (SB 1465) Effective January 1, 2019.)