Ways and Means subcommittee advances SB 5524 budgets for health licensing boards after debate over large reserves

The Education Subcommittee for Ways and Means on May 14 approved the Legislative Fiscal Office recommendation on Senate Bill 5524, the budget bill covering six state health‑related licensing boards, and adopted a dash‑2 amendment before moving the measure to the full Ways and Means committee with a due‑pass recommendation.

The motion to move SB 5524 as amended passed after discussion; Representative Juncker said he would vote no, stating, “I’m gonna vote no because I don't think the budget is right, with having so much reserve.” The committee otherwise had no recorded objections when the chair asked for them and the motion carried.

The bill, as presented by Legislative Fiscal Office staff, sets recommended budgets and other‑funds expenditure limits for the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board; the Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine; the Occupational Therapy Licensing Board; the Board of Medical Imaging; the Board of Examiners for Speech‑Language Pathology and Audiology; and the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board. The LFO summary shows differences across boards driven largely by license‑fee revenues, renewal cycles and one‑time civil penalty collections.

Key LFO figures in the…