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The legislative auditor says that the cost of licensing athletic trainers would exceed the proposed program's benefit to the public. The report provides information on the 46 states that have some form of athletic trainer oversight. Read the report.
In Regulation of the Accountancy Profession, the International Federation of Accountants says that a constructive dialogue between government and professional accountancy bodies on how to balance self-regulation with external oversight is essential to the public's interest. Read the report.
The Office of the State Comptroller has determined that the State Education Department’s Office of the Professions has made "considerable progress" toward implementing recommendations to better use information technology in order to reduce costs and improve service. Read more.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario has submitted a brief to the Competition Policy Review Panel focusing on what it feels are necessary steps to maintain "continued global competitiveness." The top issues are the introduction of "nationally consistent and internationally respected" public accounting standards and legal liability reform. Read more.
2008 Sunrise Review: Naturopathic Physicians is the fourth response since 1993 to applications submitted by the Colorado Association of Naturopathic Physicians. It is the third time that regulation is being recommended to the legislature. The report acknowledges that controversy surrounds this profession, but points out that the public is being demonstrably harmed by some individuals using the title naturopath. Protecting the public from such harm, not determining whether a practice actually works, is the only appropriate standard for regulation. The report provides detailed information on oversight in the fifteen states and the District of Columbia which currently regulate naturopaths. Read the report.
The Dental Practitioners Board of Victoria has no authority over beauty salons, but is receiving complaints of injury caused by tooth whitening performed in salons. The board has decided to sue a beauty practitioner on behalf of a consumer injured by a tooth bleaching precedure. It will argue that the Health Professions Registration Act limits performance of an "irreversible procedure" on teeth or management of "conditions of the mouth of a person" to registered dentists. Read more.
The first class of Certified Canadian Building Officials has graduated. The 14 certificants came from seven provinces despite the fact that only Alberta, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Saskatchewan require licensing. The Alliance of Canadian Building Officials’ Associations hopes that all provinces will require the credential so that national reciprocity can be achieved. Read more.
2008 Sunrise Review: Qualified Intermediaries first defines the profession: a "Qualified Intermediary (QI) (also known as an Exchange Facilitator) is a neutral third party who assists a property owner in deferring capital gains tax, to be paid to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), by holding the sale proceeds of an investment property, then transferring the funds for the purchase of a new investment property." The report concludes that evidence of harm to the public did not result from lack of education of QI practitioners, but from theft or inappropriate investment of client funds. The recommendation to the legislature is for the establishment of a QI registration program and for additional requirements such as bonding, dual signatures for transferring funds, and criminal background checks. Nevada is the only state that currently regulates QIs, but it has not yet begun issuing licenses. Read the report.
Before filing lawsuits against design professionals, consumers must first submit their complaints to the new Design Claim Conciliation Panel program of the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. The intent of the program is allow for a cost effective resolution of meritorious claims while also discouraging parties from filing frivolous or fraudulent actions. Read more.
United Arab Emirates Minister of Health, Humaid Al Quttami, says that following approval and implementation of a new liability law "nurses, pharmacists and other medical cadres will have to respect their jobs and be accountable for what they do." The law, which is designed to protect both consumers and providers of medical services, is a joint effort of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice. Read more.
