Senate Health and Welfare Committee approves multiple licensing-rule dockets; genetic-counselor ethics exception added

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee approved a series of licensing-rule dockets and temporary fee changes during the meeting and recorded several voice votes approving the proposals. Committee members also approved minutes from previous meetings and set a future vote on the DEQ PFAS drinking-water rule.

Key outcomes (votes at a glance)

- Docket 24-0301-2401, Rules of the State Board of Chiropractic Physicians (ZBR chapter rewrite). Motion to approve: Senator Van Orden; second: (not specified in transcript). Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: John Price, Bureau Chief for Occupational Licenses.

- Docket 24-0901-2401, Rules of the Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators (ZBR chapter rewrite). Motion to approve: Senator Blaylock; second: Senator Kaiser. Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: Cecily Metcalfe, Board Services Program Manager.

- Docket 24-1901-2401, Rules of the Board of Examiners of Residential Care Facility Administrators (ZBR chapter rewrite). Motion to approve: Senator Keiser; second: Senator Harris. Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: Cecily Metcalfe.

- Docket 24-2401-2401, Genetic Counselor Licensure Board (ZBR chapter rewrite). Motion to approve with exception: Senator Shippey moved to approve the docket but exclude "number 3, section 2 within the NSGC code of ethics document" from the incorporation by reference; second: Senator Keiser (second recorded earlier in sequence). Outcome: approved on voice vote with the stated exclusion. Presenter: Cecily Metcalfe.

- Docket 24-2601-2501, Idaho Board of Midwifery (temporary rule; fee decreases). Motion to approve: Senator Harris; second: Senator Shippey. Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: Katie Stewart, Bureau Chief, Administration Bureau (Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses).

- Docket 24-3101-2501, Board of Dentistry (temporary rule; fee decreases). Motion to approve: Senator Shippey; second: Senator Blaylock. Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: Katie Stewart.

- Docket 24-3401-2501 (fee decrease; board unspecified in transcript segment). Motion to approve: Senator Harris; second: Senator Blaylock. Outcome: approved on voice vote. Presenter: Katie Stewart.

Additional formal actions

- Approval of committee minutes for Jan. 14, 2025: Motion to approve by Senator Harris; outcome: approved on voice vote. - Approval of committee minutes for Jan. 15, 2025: Motion to approve (mover not specified in transcript excerpt but recorded as moved and seconded); outcome: approved on voice vote.

What the approvals mean

Most of the approved dockets were ZBR (zero-based regulation) chapter rewrites: the presenters said the rewrites restructured chapters, removed duplicative statutory language and updated licensure pathways, continuing-education cycles and fees. Several temporary-rule dockets reduced licensure fees to comply with legislative intent language on cash balances; presenters said those fee decreases were approved by each board and noted specific new fee amounts in the rulebooks.

Genetic counselor docket exception

Senator Shippey's motion removed a specific subsection (labelled in the meeting as "number 3, section 2" of the National Society of Genetic Counselors code of ethics) from the incorporation-by-reference materials. The committee approved the docket with that exception on a voice vote; the transcript records Senator Shippey reading the excluded subsection aloud before the vote.

Roll-call and tallies

All recorded approvals in the transcript were decided by voice vote; the record in the transcript does not include roll-call tallies or individual recorded yea/nay votes. Where the transcript recorded "Aye" and "Opposed? None" the committee considered the motion carried on a voice vote.

Next steps

The committee deferred the formal vote on docket 58-0108-2401 (the DEQ PFAS drinking-water rule) and scheduled it for the next meeting. Several dockets had also recently been before the House committee and were held there for a short period (House held some dockets for additional information, per presenters). The committee announced its next meeting date at adjournment.