Pub. 1 2019-2020 Issue 4

17 Get To KnowYour Regulator: Bureau of Automotive Repair Chief Patrick Dorais Alisa Reinhardt, Director of Regulatory Affairs P atrick Dorais, the Chief of the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ influen- tial Bureau of Automotive Repair for almost four years now, first learned to drive on an Oldsmobile diesel station wagon with rear-facing seats that his family used for skiing and camping trips. Since Pat always had to sit in the rear-facing seat on those family road trips, he was more than eager to move to the front and take his turn at the wheel. The other family vehicle Pat has fond memories of riding in is his car-enthusiast father’s 1952 International pickup truck – which they used, among other trips, for taking loads to the dump. Unfortunately, Pat never got to drive his father’s 1959 Porsche Roadster 1600 Super – he sold it when Pat was born because he said it wasn’t the ideal car for a new fam- ily man. After learning to drive on the Oldsmobile, Pat and his parents bought a 1978 Volkswagen Rabbit from a Bay Area dealer to get Pat back and forth from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Pat is an engaged public servant who has firsthand experi- ence in the industry he now regulates. His first job in high school was at a gasoline service station that also repaired vehicles. At the service station, he was trained in how to perform minor vehicle services, including tire repairs and fluid maintenance. Through this experience, Pat learned the importance of customer service, hard work, and how challenging it can be to operate a small business. As Chief of the Bureau of Automotive Repair, Pat oversees all operational matters, including licensing and enforce- ment activities and the administration of the Smog Check Program. Under Pat, the Bureau prioritizes collabora- tion and communication to promote its partnership with California consumers and the automotive industry. The Bureau’s work focuses on identifying the greatest areas requiring consumer protection while making sure to bal- ance the needs and realities of the industry. One of the biggest items the Bureau has been working on is the development of proposed regulations that would al- low for electronic estimates and authorizations to be used in transactions between consumers and automotive repair dealers. The proposed regulations would clarify current requirements and reorganize estimate, work order, and invoice provisions to more closely align with automotive repair transactions and improve business productivity, efficiency, and consumer satisfaction. The regulation package is currently under review at the Department of Consumer Affairs and is expected to be filed with the Office of Administrative Law later this year. Information on the Bureau’s activities is available at www. bar.ca.gov. Pat encourages automotive repair dealers to reach out to the Bureau with questions and to request a Write it Right presentation from their local field office representative, which serves as a guide for automotive repair dealers on compliance with the Automotive Repair Act and related laws and regulations. 3