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Committee actions: temporary fee reductions approved; genetic counselors and one board held for follow‑up
Summary
At its Jan. 22 meeting the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee approved temporary fee reductions for midwifery, dentistry and nursing; it held pending rules for the Genetic Counselors Licensing Board for one week and required additional review for the residential care facility administrators docket.
The Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee on Jan. 22 considered multiple rule dockets affecting occupational licensing boards. The committee recorded these outcomes by voice vote or procedural hold:
- Midwifery (temporary rule docket 24‑2601‑2501): Approved. Katie Stewart of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses said the midwifery board had been consolidated into the Idaho Board of Nursing and the board voted to decrease fees an average of about 90% (from $200 initial / $850 renewal to $35 initial / $35 renewal). The committee approved the temporary rule by voice vote.
- Dentistry (temporary rule docket 24‑3101‑2501): Approved. Stewart said the Board of Dentistry voted to decrease fees by 25% to align with the division’s cash‑balance intent language. The board’s five‑year rolling average cash balance was cited at about 294% (roughly $1.2 million). The committee approved the temporary rule by voice vote.
- Nursing (temporary rule docket 24‑3401‑2501): Approved. The Board of Nursing voted to reduce its renewal fee by an average of 20% (from $90 to $70 for renewal); Stewart requested committee approval of the temporary rule and it was approved by voice vote.
- Genetic Counselors (docket 24‑2401‑2401): Held for one week (time certain Jan. 29). Cecily Metcalfe presented a rewrite that, among other changes, removed continuing‑education requirements that duplicate national board certification maintenance and eliminated an inactive‑status provision because legal staff determined no statutory authority existed for that license type. Metcalfe told the committee the board’s cash balance as of Sept. 30 was $143,548.51 and that the board had voted to reduce fees by 20%; she also said the board had moved some licensing provisions into a consolidated licensure section. Representative Rasor said he was awaiting a legal determination about incorporation by reference (the National Society of Genetic Counselors code of ethics) and asked for a short hold to resolve that question; the committee held the docket for one week.
Procedural notes: Several committee members repeatedly asked boards with deficits to provide written recovery plans and historical financial data. Where boards reported substantial positive cash balances, they either implemented fee reductions (dentistry, genetic counselors) or voted to reduce fees and reflected that in the temporary rule (midwifery, nursing). The committee emphasized that both chambers must approve fee rules for them to take effect.
Votes at a glance (formal actions taken Jan. 22): - Docket 24‑2601‑2501 (Midwifery temporary rule): approved by voice vote. - Docket 24‑3101‑2501 (Dentistry temporary rule): approved by voice vote. - Docket 24‑3401‑2501 (Nursing temporary rule): approved by voice vote. - Docket 24‑2401‑2401 (Genetic Counselors): held for one week (Jan. 29) to resolve incorporation‑by‑reference questions. - Docket 24‑1901‑2401 (Residential Care Facility Administrators): held to Feb. 12 for a written recovery plan (see separate article).
Why it matters: The committee’s actions change license fees for several professions, affect board governance and require follow‑up where boards carry deficits or have legal questions about rule language. The committee asked boards to return quickly with financial plans where shortfalls exist.
