Committee backs HB 531 to drop associate-degree requirement for substance‑abuse coordinator license

A Utah House committee voted unanimously to recommend favorably House Bill 531, which would remove an associate-degree requirement for the entry-level substance‑abuse coordinator license and make small cleanups to align the statute with current Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) practice.

Representative Miller, who sponsored the bill, told the committee HB 531 is intended to speed qualified applicants into the workforce by removing the statutory requirement that applicants hold an associate degree in addition to specific coursework. "What this bill does is right now, to become a substance abuse coordinator and get a license for that, top of that, get an associate's degree," Representative Miller said, arguing the degree requirement was blocking applicants who completed targeted technical or community-college programs.

Mark Steineagle, identified in the hearing as director of DOPL, and Jana Johansson, DOPL licensing manager and administrator, described a recent case that prompted the legislation. Johansson said an applicant who held a one‑year nursing certificate plus a documented substance‑use course was told by her university that the two together could meet an associate‑degree equivalency, but the statute treated the degree and the course as separate, required items. Johansson said the applicant would still have needed nine additional credits under the current wording. "It seems like one of those instances where we still have a requirement that's not necessary to get people into the profession," Johansson said.

Committee members stressed that the bill would not remove core competency requirements. Committee staff noted the statute already allows the division to prescribe prerequisite courses by rule; the draft keeps existing minimum supervised training requirements, including 200 hours of education and 200 hours of practicum for the entry‑level license. Representative Thurston and others asked whether the university had been asking the applicant to take unrelated or "make‑work" courses; Johansson confirmed the additional credits were not restricted to substance‑use topics and that DOPL could add competency‑focused prerequisites by rule if needed.

A small number of emailed commenters asked that the associate‑degree requirement remain, saying the degree conferred professional standing rather than addressing a competency gap. DOPL told the committee it had not found a substantive competency rationale to retain the degree requirement and that rulemaking authority would allow the division to fill any demonstrated gaps.

Representative Winn moved to recommend HB 531 favorably; the committee adopted the motion by voice vote, which the chair recorded as unanimous. The committee also approved a motion to place HB 531 on the consent calendar. No members of the public spoke on the bill during the hearing.

The committee noted minutes were not yet available and would be finalized at a later meeting. With the committee recommendation and placement on the consent calendar, HB 531 advances toward floor consideration under normal legislative procedures.