Bill consolidates small professional licensing accounts into Business and Professions account

Senate Bill 5294, an agency-request measure presented to the committee, would consolidate receipts from several smaller professional-license accounts into the Department of Licensing’s Business and Professions account and repeal the old, smaller accounts.

Clint McCarthy, committee staff, told members the Business and Professions account currently serves 18 professions and that the account is projected to receive about $17.2 million in the current biennium. The bill would add architects, embalmers and funeral directors, landscape architects, certified real estate appraisers, geologists, appraisal management companies and the funeral and cemetery board, among others. The Department of Licensing estimated a one-time implementation cost of about $143,000.

Prime sponsor Senator Chris Gildan described the measure as “a good improvement and efficiency bill” that smooths fee volatility for professions with small licensee populations. Department of Licensing testimony clarified that the consolidation does not eliminate departmental oversight or per-profession accounting; the department said it will “true up” each profession’s activity and that appropriations remain singular while internal monitoring will ensure professions pay their fair share.

Members questioned whether the bigger account would make funds fungible across professions. Department staff said the consolidation smooths short-term volatility and that spending authority remains appropriated; staff also said professions included in the bill had not opposed the change. The committee took testimony; no vote was recorded at the hearing.