OPLC tells oversight committee most audit findings are substantially resolved; license portability marked complete

CONCORD — The Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) told the Performance Audit and Oversight Committee on Wednesday that it has substantively progressed on most recommendations from a recent audit of the mental-health workforce and related licensure practices.

OPLC Executive Director Dee Juris said 10 of 12 findings are “in the substantially resolved section,” one finding is fully resolved and one remains partially resolved. Juris told committee members the office is in the middle of rulemaking and policy work to implement statutory changes adopted in recent legislative sessions.

The update focused on several reforms the office is implementing: license portability (endorsement) rules enacted last year, expedited review for some applications, standard timelines for processing, changes to criminal-history review procedures, conversion of some essay licensing exams to multiple-choice and a planned replacement of the agency’s licensing IT system.

Juris described the workload and timeline for rulemaking as substantial. “The rulemaking process ... is about 13 months from when we start to when it is actually, the final proposal is adopted,” she said, adding that OPLC handles roughly a quarter of the state’s rulemaking. She told the committee that legislative changes occurring during the rule-drafting process have required frequent midstream adjustments across roughly 57 boards and about 61 regulated professions.

On the audit’s top recommendation — improving license…