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S.B. 71 Enrolled

                 

OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL

                 
LICENSURE REVIEW COMMITTEE

                 
1999 GENERAL SESSION

                 
STATE OF UTAH

                 
Sponsor: L. Alma Mansell

                  AN ACT RELATING TO THE LEGISLATURE; CREATING THE OCCUPATIONAL AND
                  PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE REVIEW COMMITTEE; PROVIDING FOR MEMBERSHIP;
                  DELINEATING RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROCEDURES; AND SETTING REVIEW
                  CRITERIA FOR OCCUPATIONS OR PROFESSIONS SEEKING LICENSURE,
                  REGULATION, OR REAUTHORIZATION.
                  This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
                  ENACTS:
                      36-23-101, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-102, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-103, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-104, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-105, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-106, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-107, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                      36-23-108, Utah Code Annotated 1953
                  Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
                      Section 1. Section 36-23-101 is enacted to read:
                 
CHAPTER 23. OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE

                 
REVIEW COMMITTEE ACT

                      36-23-101. Title.
                      This chapter is known as the "Occupational and Professional Licensure Review Committee
                  Act."
                      Section 2. Section 36-23-102 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-102. Occupational and Professional Licensure Review Committee -- Definition


                  -- Membership -- Chairs.
                      (1) There is created the Occupational and Professional Licensure Review Committee.
                      (2) As used in this chapter, "committee" means the Occupational and Professional Licensure
                  Review Committee.
                      (3) The committee consists of 13 members appointed as follows:
                      (a) three members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker of the House,
                  no more than two from the same political party;
                      (b) three members of the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than two
                  from the same political party; and
                      (c) seven public members appointed jointly by the speaker of the House and the president
                  of the Senate as follows:
                      (i) four members who have previously served, but are no longer serving, on any of the
                  advisory boards created under Title 58; and
                      (ii) three members from the general public who do not hold any type of license issued by the
                  Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.
                      (4) (a) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
                  of Representatives appointed under Subsection(3)(a) as a cochair of the committee.
                      (b) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed under
                  Subsection (3)(b) as a cochair of the committee.
                      Section 3. Section 36-23-103 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-103. Terms -- Vacancies.
                      (1) Legislators serving on the committee shall serve two-year terms or until their successors
                  are appointed.
                      (2) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), public members shall serve up to three-year
                  terms or until their successors are appointed.
                      (b) The speaker of the House and the president of the Senate shall, at the time of
                  appointment or reappointment, adjust the length of terms of the public members to ensure that
                  approximately one-third of the public members are appointed every year.

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                      (3) A vacancy exists whenever a committee member ceases to be a member of the
                  Legislature or when a member resigns from the committee. Vacancies shall be filled by the
                  appointing authority, and the replacement member shall serve for the remaining unexpired term.
                      Section 4. Section 36-23-104 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-104. Meetings -- Compensation -- Quorum -- Rules.
                      (1) The committee may meet as needed, at the call of the committee chairs, to carry out the
                  duties set forth in Section 36-23-106 .
                      (2) (a) Legislators on the committee receive compensation and expenses as provided by law
                  and legislative rule.
                      (b) (i) Public members on the committee receive no compensation or benefits for their
                  service, but may receive per diem and expenses incurred in the performance of the members' official
                  duties at the rates established by the Division of Finance under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
                      (ii) Public members may decline to receive per diem and expenses for their service.
                      (3) Seven members of the committee constitute a quorum.
                      (4) In conducting all its business, the committee shall comply with the rules of legislative
                  interim committees regarding motions.
                      Section 5. Section 36-23-105 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-105. Applications -- Fees.
                      (1) Representatives of occupations or professions who desire to have their occupation or
                  profession licensed or regulated by the state may, prior to the introduction of any proposed
                  legislation, submit an application for sunrise review to the Office of Legislative Research and
                  General Counsel in a form approved by the committee.
                      (2) Applicants shall submit a nonrefundable fee of $500 with each application. All
                  application fees shall be deposited in the General Fund.
                      Section 6. Section 36-23-106 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-106. Duties.
                      The committee shall:
                      (1) receive applications from representatives of professions or occupations which are seeking

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                  legislation to license or regulate that profession or occupation;
                      (2) hold public hearings to review applications received under Subsection (1) and to
                  determine, based upon the criteria in Section 36-23-107 , if the profession or occupation should be
                  licensed or regulated by the state;
                      (3) conduct sunset reviews, based upon the criteria in Section 36-23-107 , Title 63, Chapter
                  55, Legislative Oversight and Sunset Act, and other appropriate criteria, for any occupational or
                  professional license classifications which are referred to the committee by any other legislative
                  committee; and
                      (4) submit a written report to the speaker of the House of Representatives and the president
                  of the Senate of all findings and recommendations made by the committee under Subsections (2) and
                  (3).
                      Section 7. Section 36-23-107 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-107. Review criteria.
                      When reviewing applications received under Subsection 36-23-106 (2) and when conducting
                  sunset reviews under Subsection 36-23-106 (3), the committee shall use the following criteria to
                  determine whether or not the occupation or profession should be licensed or regulated by the state:
                      (1) whether the unregulated practice of the occupation or profession has clearly harmed or
                  may harm or endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the public, and whether the potential for harm
                  is easily recognizable and not remote;
                      (2) whether the public needs, and can reasonably be expected to benefit from, an assurance
                  of initial and continuing professional or occupational competence;
                      (3) whether regulation of the profession or occupation imposes significant new economic
                  hardship on the public, significantly diminishes the supply of qualified practitioners, or otherwise
                  creates barriers to service that are not consistent with the public welfare or interest;
                      (4) whether the occupation requires possession of knowledge, skills, and abilities that are
                  both teachable and testable;
                      (5) whether the occupation is clearly distinguishable from other occupations that are already
                  regulated;

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                      (6) whether the occupational or professional group has an established code of ethics, a
                  voluntary certification program, or other measures to ensure a minimum quality of service;
                      (7) whether the public can be adequately protected by means other than regulation; and
                      (8) other appropriate criteria as determined by the committee.
                      Section 8. Section 36-23-108 is enacted to read:
                      36-23-108. Staff support.
                      The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff services to the
                  committee.

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