04/13/2010 09:46 AM House FIN

SENATE BILL NO. 248                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act extending the termination date of the Board of                                                                     
     Marital and Family Therapy; and providing for an                                                                           
     effective date."                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
JIM  BENINTENDI,  STAFF,  SENATOR OLSON  explained  that  the                                                                   
bill  would   extend  the   Board  of   Marital  and   Family                                                                   
Therapists  until June  30, 2014.  The board  is composed  of                                                                   
three  therapists and  two public  members. The  cost of  the                                                                   
license  is   $775.00  and  there   are  84  licensees.   The                                                                   
legislative  audit  found  that  regulations  were  not  kept                                                                   
current and  that the board was  running a deficit.  He noted                                                                   
the board  has made  significant progress  in reducing  their                                                                   
deficit down to $2000 from $75,000 in FY 2005.                                                                                  
He added that  the audit pointed out that the  department did                                                                   
not  provide  enough  administrative  support  and  that  the                                                                   
governor  needed to  improve  candidate  recruitment for  the                                                                   
board.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
PAT DAVIDSON,  LEGISLATIVE AUDIT explained that  the division                                                                   
made  a  four  year extension  for  the  board  because  they                                                                   
discovered that  the board  was delaying regulation  projects                                                                   
and  that the  board was  carrying a  deficit. She  explained                                                                   
that the  reason for  a professional  board  is to assist  in                                                                   
keeping  the regulations  and statutes  of the profession  up                                                                   
to professional  standards. The  shorter four year  extension                                                                   
was recommended  by the  division to  see if regulations  and                                                                   
fiscal  improvements can  be made  by the board  in a  timely                                                                   
manner.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stoltze closed testimony.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Thomas MOVED  to report  CS SB  248 (L&G) out  of                                                                   
Committee   with    individual   recommendations    and   the                                                                   
accompanying fiscal  note. There  being NO OBJECTION,  it was                                                                   
so ordered.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CS  SB 248(L&G)  was REPORTED  out  of Committee  with a  "do                                                                   
pass'  recommendation and  with  previously published  fiscal                                                                   
note: FN2 (DCED)                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:07:46 AM         RECESSED                                                                                                  
1:41:29 PM     RECONVENED