Committee considers letting genetic counselors order tests and updates licensure exam timing

The House Human Services Committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 2,040, which would allow licensed genetic counselors to order genetic testing without a separate physician on the test order and would update licensure examination timing to match national standards.

Sandra DuPentes, executive director of the North Dakota Board of Medicine, told the committee the change would remove an unnecessary step, speed testing, and reduce backlog. "The first section updates the law to allow a genetic counselor to order their own genetic testing without needing to go through a different healthcare provider," DuPentes said, and noted that 33 states allow genetic counselors to order tests and that neighboring states South Dakota, Montana and Minnesota permit the practice.

Linda Wolf, a genetic counselor at Sanford Health who joined the board's presentation, said genetic counselors commonly choose what tests to order and where to send them and follow up with patients on results. "So often, we're the ones deciding what's being ordered and where it's being sent, and it just seems appropriate that we should be allowed to do that," she said.

Section two would update examination requirements to be consistent with the American Board of Genetic Counseling (ABGC), including requiring exam completion within a specified window after graduation and retaining a three‑attempt exam limit with limited exceptions for documented disability or reciprocal licensure. No opposition testimony was recorded during the session and the committee did not record a committee vote.