CLEAR

Washington legislature approves expedited licensing for military spouses

Washington's state legislature approved Senate Bill 5969 during special session, to expedite professional licensing for spouses of military members transferred into the state. If approved by Governor Gregoire, the bill will further provide spouses with easier access to temporary licenses while they undertake training to meet in-state licensing requirements. 

Data suggests there are 43,000 spouses of service personnel living in the state, a third of whom work in jobs that require a professional license.

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Indiana state committee proposes elimination of four regulatory boards, modification of another

The Indiana Regulated Occupations Evaluation Committee (ROEC), first formed in 2010 to review the efficiency and effectiveness of the 35 regulatory entities under the the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA), has issued a series of recommendations.  Having reviewed seven regulatory entities, it recommends the following: 

1. Indiana State Board of Health Facility Administrators – Retain as mandated by Federal statute or regulation, but relocate the function to the Indiana State Department of Health, which currently regulates long term health care facilities.  
2. Indiana Optometry Board – Retain.
3. Indiana Dietitians Certification Board – Eliminate. 
4. Committee of Indiana Hearing Aid Dealers – Eliminate.
5. State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers – Retain in its current form but reduce licensing fees significantly and eliminate the unnecessary license for engineering corporations.   
6. Security Guard and Private Investigators Board – Eliminate.
7. State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners – Eliminate.

Recommendations are made to the state's General Assembly, which is not compelled to act. Evaluation criteria used in the report include the following: risk analysis; informed consumer choice; self-regulation by the profession; legal alternatives to regulation and benefit-cost determination; and whether regulations can be modernized to achieve their objectives. 

Illinois General Assembly approves revisions to Cemetery Oversight Bill

The Illinois State Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 1830, which makes several revisions to the state's Cemetery Oversight Act (passed in the aftermath of the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal). The legislation "changes provisions concerning the grounds for discipline of a licensee for convictions of certain crimes. Permits the Department to disclose information and documents related to an examination or investigation of a licensee or applicant only to law enforcement officials, other regulatory agencies that have an appropriate regulatory interest as determined by the Secretary, or a party presenting a lawful subpoena to the Department. Provides that any formal complaint against a licensee filed with the Department or an order issued by the Department against a licensee or applicant shall be a public record." The bill has been sent to Governor Pat Quinn for signature.

Virginia governor's government reform initiatives include deregulation of three professions

Part of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's plans restructure and reform state government include the deregulation of three professions according to his office. The plans, which have been submitted to the General Assembly for consideration during the 2012 session, include the deregulation of Hair braiders,  Mold Inspectors and Remediators, and Interior Designers, in addition to the merging of the Board for Opticians and the Board for Hearing Aid Specialists, and the Board for Geology with the Board for Professional Social Scientists and Wetlands Professions. The plan, which is estimated to save in the region of $2 million per year, includes the elimination of two state agencies; the merger of seven state agencies into others; the elimination of 19 boards and commissions; the merger of 23 boards and commissions to form 11 boards and commissions; and the moving of four offices and initiatives.

Press release.

Ethics Commission asked whether board members may also serve as professional association leaders

The West Virginia Ethics Commission has provided an advisory opinion on potential conflicts related to the involvement of licensing boards members in professional associations. The request for an opinion was made by a state licensing board which asked whether a board member and/or and executive director may serve as both an officers in a professional association, whose members includes licensees of the board. The Commission stated that an executive director may not serve as a officer in a professional organization, but that a licensing board member may be a member of a professional organization. However, it deferred to the Legislature the question of whether a board member can be an officer of a professional organization.

Illinois Medical Practice Act amended; expands powers, increases fines

The Illinois Medical Practice Act has been amended, providing the medical board with access to licensees' business files and personal medical records. Prior to the amendment, regulators were permitted to examine reports authored by external experts, but not those documents and tests used when compiling the reports. Additional changes include:

• the mandatory suspension of a license without a hearing of any physician refusing to submit to board-ordered evaluations;
• doubling the fine for practicing medicine without a license to $10,000;
• mandates the submission of fingerprints, which will be checked against Illinois State Police and FBI records, with applications for licensure;
• requires state prosecutors report certain misdemeanors committed by doctors.

Iowa Supreme Court considers revisions to attorney disciplinary process; asks for comment

Iowa's Supreme Court is considering revisions to its attorney discipline process, which would permit negotiated suspensions or disbarments, but make the reasons for such actions public if they were later approved by the Court. Commenting on the proposed changes, court spokesman Court Steve Davis said the proposals would “reduce delays and strengthen the effectiveness of the attorney discipline process.” 

Request for comments.

Summary.

Proposed amendments.

Illinois physician profiles proving popular; 750,000 views in first month

The ability to view Illinois physician profiles is proving popular, with more than 750,000 hits registered in the month following their mid-October reintroduction on the website of the Illinois Department of of Financial and Professional Regulation. Close to 85 percent of physicians and chiropractors with active licenses in the state have approved the inclusion of their information, mandatory components of which include details of firing, convictions of a felony or class A misdemeanor, or malpractice payments within the past five years.

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