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OPLC Seeks Timelines for Complaint Review; Committee Hears Draft Proposal to Set Initial Review and Investigation Limits
Summary
Senate Bill 185 would require the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) to provide set timelines for initial review and investigation of complaints: a 30‑day preliminary determination whether an allegation rises to "professional misconduct" and a 60‑day target for a finished investigation. OPLC witnesses told the
Sen. Howard Pearl introduced Senate Bill 185 after receiving complaints that investigations of licensee complaints under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification can remain open for months or years without public status updates.
The bill would require OPLC to make an initial determination within 30 days whether an allegation raises a claim of professional misconduct and — if the allegation does require investigation — to complete an investigation and return a dated report to the licensing board within 60 days (the bill allows limited extensions where a board directs further work).
Deanna Juris, OPLC executive director, told the committee that OPLC recently undertook a systematic cleanup of an investigative backlog and that the agency had reduced pending complaints from about 6,200 to below 3,200 in a few months by clearing duplicate, invalid or already‑resolved matters. Juris said OPLC has increased enforcement staff and improved the case‑tracking database, but also told senators any statutory timelines should account for agency capacity and the need to subpoena records, obtain expert reviews and coordinate with boards on complex health‑care investigations.
Nick Frey, OPLC general counsel, described the office’s current parallel obligations: statute of limitations timelines to initiate proceedings, constitutional speedy‑trial‑style guarantees for disciplinary hearings and the agency’s emergency suspension process, which already imposes short hearing timelines where immediate removal of a license is necessary.
Most public testimony supported efforts to give complainants and licensees clearer expectations about case status. Several board members said the cleanup showed progress but noted that some investigations — especially complex medical cases requiring medical‑record review and expert evaluation — may take longer than the bill’s proposed targets.
Ending: OPLC agreed to provide additional details on average current processing times, the remaining backlog profile and how proposal timelines could be implemented operationally. The committee closed the hearing and asked OPLC to follow up in writing.
