Legislation, which would amend existing law to make it unlawful for a person to make a material misrepresentation of the law to anyone at a public agency to transact business with the agency, will be heard next week by the Assembly Public Safety Committee.
AB 660 by Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio (D-West Covina) would help to address a problem arising at several county clerks’ offices in Southern California where individuals offering to “assist” those who are required to file a fictitious business name (FBN) statement with the County Clerk’s office have exhibited threatening behavior toward the potential filers.
The bill is co-sponsored by CNPA and the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials.
In Los Angeles County, these solicitors have engaged in confrontational and aggressive tactics to secure business from members of the public who go to county offices to file FBN’s or conduct any other business with the county. In some instances, several solicitors have actually run toward and competed for business as members of the public were getting out of their vehicles in the parking lot.
Other solicitors have also misled some filers by telling them that the law requires a filer to use an agent to file the FBN for them.
Current law allows an office manager or a supervisor of the public agency, or a peace officer to request that a person leave the premises of a public agency if that person intentionally interferes with any lawful business carried on by the employees of a public agency, or obstructs or intimidates those attempting to transact business with the public agency.
AB 660 would add to the list of prohibited behavior anyone who makes a material misrepresentation of the law to those persons there to transact business with the public agency.
