Michigan licensing agency outlines bureaus, rule changes and new licensing needs to House appropriations subcommittee

Paige Fultz, director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Insurance and Financial Services that LARA directly serves nearly 2,000,000 individuals and entities and is pursuing statutory and rule changes to reduce regulatory burdens.

The presentation laid out LARA’s organizational structure and priorities and why they matter to lawmakers responsible for funding and statutory oversight: the department administers professional and facility licensing across multiple bureaus that together affect health facilities, construction codes, professional licensing, commercial licensing and several independent agencies.

Fultz said LARA was established in 1965 (originally as the Department of Commerce), renamed LARA in 2011, and now comprises regulatory bureaus, type 1 (autonomous) agencies and central services. She described four strategic goals: reducing barriers to licensure, improving regulatory compliance through education and consultation, providing timely services, and enhancing the customer experience.

Fultz summarized bureau-level responsibilities and…