Bill would let medical professionals voluntarily relinquish licenses to reduce LARA workload

Representative Pavel presented House Bill 4929 to the House Rules Committee, describing it as a measure to reduce unnecessary administrative work in the state licensure system by creating a process for licensees to voluntarily relinquish medical licenses.

“The purpose of this bill is to relieve unnecessary work within the licensure system for medical licenses,” Representative Pavel said. Under the proposal, a licensee would surrender a certificate of license or registration along with a written notice of intent on a form provided by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. “The license or registration would be considered surrendered on the date the department receives the aforementioned form,” Pavel said.

Pavel told the committee that the change is intended to reduce the number of lapse notices LARA sends when people know they do not intend to renew. Representative DeBoer asked how the process operates currently, and Pavel explained that, without a voluntary-surrender mechanism, the department continues its renewal-notice process until a license expires.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about the administrative burden the bill would address; proponents described the proposal as a paperwork reduction and a simplification of LARA procedures. No committee vote on the measure was recorded in the testimony segment.