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Panel sends bill to floor allowing licensing boards to adopt fee holidays and report on cash balances
Summary
House Bill 152 would require boards that license professions to report revenue and expenditure data and would permit boards with large cash balances to adopt a fee holiday; committee voted to send the measure to the floor with a due-pass recommendation.
Representative Jeff Ehlers (District 21) presented House Bill 152, which directs licensing boards to report on revenues and expenditures and requires a plan to adjust boards' cash balances. The bill also authorizes boards to adopt a fee holiday when they hold excess cash in order to reduce licensee fees.
Ehlers said boards vary widely in fund balances — some hold five to 10 years of cash on hand while others run low or negative — and that section 3 of the bill would require a report and plan to equalize those balances. Section 2 would require boards to document revenues and expenditures that contribute to their cash position. The bill also contains cleanup language related to changing license renewal periods from one year to two years to reflect prior legislative changes.
Committee members asked about the scope of fee holidays; Ehlers said a fee holiday could apply to any fee set in administrative rule, such as renewals or licensure fees. Members also asked whether the bill conflicts with other pending legislation about creating new licenses; Ehlers said fees are adjusted through rulemaking and the bill does not conflict with statutes requiring legislative authority to create a new license.
No public testimony was recorded. Representative Cannon moved to send HB152 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; the committee approved the motion by voice vote.
