CLEAR

Florida: report says open complaints to the public

Governor Crist's Commission on Open Government says those regulated by the Department of Health and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, get "a higher level of protection" than other licensees, including teachers, engineers, and police officers. A commission report say complaints should be made public. Currently, only cases found to merit disciplinary action are made public. Read more.

New York: CPA regulation expanded

Governor Paterson has signed a reform bill regulating additional CPA activities, including management and financial advisory services. Read more.

Vermont: e-licensing for healthcare professionals

Chris Winters, director of the Office of Professional Regulation, says that a website for healthcare professional e-licensing will be available on February 9, with online filing beginning in May. Read more. 

President's Message by Rosemary McCool

CLEAR’s recent midyear meeting in San Diego set the tone for what will be another busy and important year for the organization. Nearly seventy committee members from four countries met to plan CLEAR’s 29th annual conference and continue the organization’s vital work of promoting regulatory excellence. I am delighted that CLEAR is holding its 2009 conference in my home city of Denver, Colorado from September 10-12, 2009. Planned by regulators, for regulators, the conference offers outstanding learning opportunities for those involved in the licensure, non-voluntary certification or registration of the many hundreds of regulated occupations, professions and facilities. I hope you will join with your peers and fellow professionals as together we learn about practical solutions and cutting-edge research that enables us to better serve our organizations and the public we protect. Registration will open in the spring and I look forward to welcoming you to Denver. Read full message.

Hawaii: statewide telemedicine experiment

Hawaii is the first to offer 24/7 statewide online physician access to its residents. A ten-minute online visit costs $10 for plan members and $45 for others. Read more.

Missouri: licensed massage therapists - higher fees?

The Show-Me Institute, a think tank promoting "market solutions for Missouri public policy" has published Occupational Licensing of Massage Therapists in Missouri and Kansas. Their finding: licensed massage therapists in Missouri charge more for their services than those in Kansas where the profession is not licensed. 

UK: more pharmacist-patient involvement

New guidelines on pharmacist-patient interaction issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) grew out of a concern over the large number of people not taking prescribed medications. "The guidance is a golden opportunity for all healthcare professionals...to achieve the best results from the treatment of their patients," said Beth Taylor, Chair, English Pharmacy Board of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB). Read more.

Illinois: puppy breeder licensing

Proposed Illinois legislation would move puppy breeder licensing from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The proposal would cap the number of breeding dogs a breeder can own at 20, and ban anyone convicted under animal cruelty laws from obtaining a breeding license. Read more. A Colorado bill would allows breeders to own 25 unsterilized dogs over 6 months of age and require annual certification by a licensed veterinarian. Regulation would remain with the Department of Agriculture. Read more.

UK: more regulation recommended for estate agents

"The high levels of complaints about estate agents...compared with other professional services required in a house sale is a strong argument for improving the standards of these services by further regulation" is a recommendation of Government Review of Regulation and Redress in the UK Housing Market: Final Report. 

Kansas: BOHA progress report

Jack Confer, new executive director of the Kansas Board of Healing Arts, says the board is making progress with its backlog of several thousand open disciplinary cases. He estimates that it will take more than a year for the agency to begin closing cases within a more acceptable standard of 180 days. In the meantime, cases are being prioritized and handled according to severity of public danger. Confer was hired following controversy that included a 2008 legislative resolution calling for personnel changes at the board.