(a)
(1)
A person shall not be employed as a gambling enterprise employee, or serve as an independent agent, except as provided in paragraph (2), (3), or (4), unless the person is the holder of one of the following:
(A)
A valid work permit issued in accordance with the applicable ordinance or regulations of the county, city, or city and county in which the person’s duties are performed.
(B)
A work permit issued by the commission pursuant to regulations adopted by the commission for the issuance and renewal of work permits. A work permit issued by the commission shall be valid for two years. A work permit,
once issued by the commission, shall authorize a person to act as a gambling enterprise employee, or serve as an independent agent, until the expiration or revocation of that work permit and shall entitle the holder to work for any gambling enterprise for which the commission issues work permits as a gambling enterprise employee after proper notification to the department.
(2)
An independent agent is not required to hold a work permit if the independent agent is not a resident of this state and has registered with the department in accordance with regulations.
(3)
A person whose job duties are not supervisory, not related to the operation or administration of gambling, and who does not perform employment duties in the area where gambling is conducted, may begin working as a
gambling enterprise employee after applying for a work permit provided that the person wears a temporary badge on their outermost garment at chest level with their name, picture, and the words “Non-Gaming Employee, Work Permit Pending.” Except as provided in paragraph (4), after the person has received a work permit, the person may perform any duties for which a work permit is required. If the person is denied a work permit, the person shall not work as a gambling enterprise employee in any gaming or nongaming job.
(4)
A person who is 18 through 20 years of age may be employed without a work permit and only in a position that is not supervisory, not related to the
operation or administration of gambling, and not allowed to perform duties in an area in which gambling is conducted, until the person reaches 21 years of age, if the person wears a badge on their outermost garment at chest level with the words “Non-Gaming Employee: Under 21.” The badge shall have a different background color than the badges worn by other gambling enterprise employees.
(b)
Except as provided in this section, a work permit shall not be issued by the commission or by any city, county, or city and county to any person who would be disqualified from holding a state gambling license for the reasons specified in subdivisions (a) to (g), inclusive, of Section 19859.
(c)
The department may object to the issuance of a work permit by a city, county, or city and county for
any cause specified under this chapter deemed reasonable by the department, and if the department objects to issuance of a work permit, the work permit issued by a city, county, or city and county shall be denied.
(1)
The commission shall adopt regulations specifying particular grounds for objection to issuance of, or refusal to issue, a work permit.
(2)
The ordinance of any city, county, or city and county relating to issuance of work permits shall permit the department to object to the issuance of any permit.
(3)
Any person whose application for a work permit has been denied because of an objection by the department may apply to the commission for an evidentiary hearing in accordance with regulations.
(d)
Application for a work permit for use in any jurisdiction where a locally issued work permit is not required by the licensing authority of a city, county, or city and county shall be made to the department, and may be granted or denied by the commission for any cause specified under this chapter.
(1)
If the commission denies the application, it shall include in its notice of denial a statement of facts upon which it relied in denying the application.
(2)
Upon receipt of an application for a work permit, the commission may issue a temporary work permit for a period specified by the commission, pending completion of the background investigation by the department and official action by the commission with respect to
the work permit application.
(e)
An order of the commission denying an application for, or placing restrictions or conditions on, a work permit, including an order declining to issue a work permit following review pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (c), may be reviewed in accordance with subdivision (f) of Section 19870.
