Panel advances bill to create continuing‑education tracking for licensing boards

House Bill 34 would establish a continuing‑education tracking solution for professional licensing boards under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State, the bill’s sponsor told the committee. Proponents said the system would modernize license renewal and make it easier to verify compliance with continuing‑education requirements.

The sponsor said the measure is intended to reduce paperwork and administrative delays when licensees forget or misfile continuing‑education documentation. “This will help track that,” the sponsor said in response to a committee member who asked whether the system would prevent applications from being kicked out for minor errors.

The bill passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate; sponsors said the updated tracking tool will reduce burdens on licensees and the Secretary of State’s licensing staff. Committee members asked procedural questions about how the tool would integrate with the existing ‘‘GOLD’’ system used by the Secretary of State and whether broader board‑structure reforms would follow. The committee moved a due‑pass recommendation; the voice vote carried and no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.