Senate committee reviews OPR bill that adds fees, enforcement surcharges and removes motor-racing oversight

The Senate Committee on Government Operations on April 9 heard testimony on H.472, the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) bill that would authorize new data‑feed fees, raise multiple licensing fees and enforcement penalties, require new training and inspection standards, and remove OPR oversight of motor vehicle racing.

Deputy Secretary of State Lauren Hibbert and Michael Warren, interim director of the Office of Professional Regulation, described the measure as a streamlined bill intended to address a set of technical and funding issues. "The OPR bill had some very simple goals. And as you guys, have noticed, it's a streamlined bill," Deputy Secretary of State Lauren Hibbert said. Michael Warren added, "We wanted to be able to focus on those other items and just, focused this OPR bill on the things that we thought would be necessary to change, this year."

Why it matters: The bill would shift some costs for services OPR now provides for free onto users (for example, commercial data feeds), restore fees omitted by prior legislation, and add a new disciplinary surcharge intended to recoup part of enforcement costs. It also proposes statutory changes with regulatory and consumer‑protection implications, including a transfer (by removal) of OPR's regulation of motor vehicle racing and new requirements for barbering and cosmetology schools on training for textured hair.

Major provisions and numbers

- Data feeds and business services: H.472 would authorize the Secretary of State to set, by policy, fees for delivery of licensing data feeds to outside entities (universities, associations, large employers and federal entities). OPR witnesses said those feeds previously were provided at no charge and the change is intended to generate…