Senate Industry and Business Committee advances licensing and title bills, rejects grant request for security board

The Senate Industry and Business Committee on Thursday advanced several bills affecting professional licensing and land-title practice and rejected a proposal to grant state funds to a private security and investigation board.

The committee recommended “do pass” on Senate Bill 2,071, a Board of Counselor Examiners bill that updates renewal and duplicate-license language, and on Senate Bill 23‑56, which adds language to legal descriptions for deeds and contracts for deed. Lawmakers also voted to amend and pass Senate Bill 23‑48, moving provisions governing health‑care sharing ministries out of the insurance title and into the public‑welfare title.

Those measures, committee members said, clarify existing practice or resolve technical concerns and do not create new policy controversies. The committee rejected a standalone appropriation request tied to the Board of Counselor Examiners and declined to approve a separate grant request to the Board of Private Investigation and Security (Senate Bill 22‑66), saying boards should generally meet operating costs through fees rather than additional taxpayer support.

Most votes were unanimous. The committee recorded a 5–0 recommendation to advance SB 2,071 and to advance SB 23‑56 as amended. An amendment to SB 23‑48 to relocate health‑sharing ministry language to the public‑welfare title carried 5–0, and the bill passed the…