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Division trims permit and licensing fees across boards under Senate Bill 1442 guidance
Summary
The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses presented temporary rules cutting permit and licensing fees for several boards under direction from Senate Bill 1442 intent language, and the House Business Committee approved the measures by voice vote.
The Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) presented a package of temporary rule changes Tuesday that reduce permit and licensing fees for multiple boards under direction from last year’s appropriation intent language (Senate Bill 1442).
Katie Stewart, DOPL’s administration bureau chief, told the House Business Committee the building code board voted to reduce permit fees by 30% (found on page 13 of the temporary rule book), a change larger than the 20% referenced in the division’s cash‑balance plan. Stewart said the building board currently held roughly 447% of its five‑year rolling average of expenditures, and that reducing fees would help prevent the balance from growing further while keeping permits affordable amid increased construction activity.
Stewart said the factory‑built structures board approved a 20% reduction of its permit fees (page 16), and the public‑works contractor licensing board approved a 20% reduction and added “not to exceed” language allowing future fee decreases without additional rulemaking (page 20). She said the temporary rules implement intent language from Senate Bill 1442 to move boards toward healthier cash balances and to lower costs for licensees where possible.
Committee members asked how many boards were below the division’s 30% cash‑balance threshold; Stewart said 13 boards were under that threshold, though not all were operating in the red. Committee members asked about causes of negative balances, including rule production costs, hearings and legal expenses, and staffing. Stewart described a range of potential causes, including rulemaking, administrative hearings, and disciplinary processes, and said the division plans further legislation this session to provide tools such as fee holidays, codified cash‑balance targets, and a cleanup of renewal cycles.
The committee approved each temporary rule docket by voice vote: building safety (docket 243900‑2501), factory‑built structures (243930‑2501) and public‑works contractor licensing (243950‑2501). Lawmakers and DOPL said further legislative proposals are planned to refine the division’s authority to adjust fees and provide temporary fee relief where warranted.
