05/05/2005 04:55 PM Senate FIN

                                                                                                                                
     CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 123(RLS) am                                                                                          
     "An  Act relating to  occupational licensing  fees, fines,  and                                                            
     penalties   and  to  regulatory  board  fines;   extending  the                                                            
     termination  dates of the Boards  of Barbers and Hairdressers,                                                             
     Social  Work  Examiners,  Pharmacy,  Professional  Counselors,                                                             
     Psychologist   and  Psychological   Associate  Examiners,   and                                                            
     Veterinary  Examiners;  relating to psychologist  licensing  by                                                            
     credentials;  relating to an exemption that allows  one bill to                                                            
     continue  more than one board,  commission, or agency  program;                                                            
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
This  was the first  hearing  for this  bill in  the Senate  Finance                                                            
Committee.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
JOSH APPLEBEE,  Staff  to Representative  Tom  Anderson, the  bill's                                                            
sponsor, informed the Committee  that this legislation would provide                                                            
for  the extension  of  six  different  State  Boards slated  to  be                                                            
terminated. The  Division of Legislative Audit has  recommended that                                                            
each  of the six  boards  be extended.  This bill  would extend  the                                                            
Board of Barbers  and Hairdressers  to the year 2011; the  Boards of                                                            
Social   Work   Examiners,   Pharmacy,   Professional   Counselors,                                                             
Psychologist  and  Psychological  Associate  Examiners  to the  year                                                            
2010, and the Board of Veterinary Examiners to the year 2009.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Applebee  shared that  the bill  would also  allow the Board  of                                                            
Psychologist   and  Psychological   Associate  Examiners   to  adopt                                                            
regulations that  would recognize other credentialing  organizations                                                            
beyond the  current American  Board of  Professional Psychology.  To                                                            
this  point, the  Board must  insure that  this  expansion would  be                                                            
limited to  recognizing only those  organizations whose credentials                                                             
were similar or higher  than the licensing requirements specified in                                                            
State Statute.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
6:19:51 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Green  asked whether the  extensions of these Boards  could                                                            
be characterized as "routine" extensions.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Applebee affirmed.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Green  noted that the one exception would  be the expansion                                                            
of the credential  language pertaining to the Board  of Psychologist                                                            
and Psychological Associate Examiners.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PAT DAVIDSON,  Legislative Auditor,  Division of Legislative  Audit,                                                            
Legislative  Affairs Agency  commented  in regards  to the  proposed                                                            
extension  dates.  She  noted  that the  Division  was  required  to                                                            
conduct  audits  of 12  boards  and  commissions  that were  due  to                                                            
terminate  this year. Therefore,  in an effort  to avert  overlaying                                                            
auditing  of numerous boards  in the future,  the Division  utilized                                                            
extension timeframes  ranging between four to six  years, as opposed                                                            
to the standard  four-year extension.  In addition, the audit  noted                                                            
that  contrary to  previous audit  findings  in which  the Board  of                                                            
Barbers  and  Hairdressers  licensing   fees  had  not sufficiently                                                             
covered the expenses  of operating its Board, the  increased license                                                            
fees are now sufficient  in that regard. However, the Division would                                                            
recommend  that the licensing  fees of both  the Boards of  Pharmacy                                                            
and   Psychologist   and  Psychological   Associate   Examiners   be                                                            
increased.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
AT EASE 6:21:50 PM / 6:22:37 PM                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Senator   Olson  understood   that   the   credentialing   expansion                                                            
pertaining to the Board  of Psychologist and Psychological Associate                                                            
Examiners, as  reflected in Sec. 7(3) page two lines  25 through 28,                                                            
would serve to  allow a person meeting the specified  credentials to                                                            
obtain their license.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Applebee  affirmed  that  to  be  correct,  provided  that  the                                                            
individual's  credentials   were  the  same  or  higher  than  those                                                            
specified in Statute.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
6:23:21 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Olson asked  the  reason for  expanding  the credentialing                                                             
organizations in that regard.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Applebee responded  that  the  goal would  be to  increase  the                                                            
number of people practicing in that field.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Wilken  moved  to  report the  bill  from  Committee  with                                                            
individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
There  being no  objections,  CS HB 123(RLS)  am  was REPORTED  from                                                            
Committee with  zero fiscal note #1 dated February  3, 2005 from the                                                            
Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
6:24:27 PM