Senate advances bill to ease licensure for limited-scope radiology technicians

Senate sponsors moved Jan. 26 to advance Senate Bill 32, which revises licensing for radiology technicians and creates a clearer, skill-focused pathway for workers who take limited x-rays in dental, podiatry and other specialty settings. Senator Stewart, the bill’s floor sponsor, said the change aims to make licensure "more reasonable for those people who are taking limited x-rays" and to avoid forcing costly or irrelevant education on workers in narrow scopes of practice.

Supporters told the Senate the 1989 law that first required licensure divided practitioners into two classes and later created burdensome educational mandates for those who only take limited x-rays. Stewart said the current bill preserves examination requirements but lets the division and boards tailor tests to the specialty—"the limited examination would be geared toward that expertise in the dental's dentist's office," he said.

Senator Black introduced and the Senate adopted a floor amendment that specifies the basic and specialty examinations "shall be approved by the division in collaboration with the board and the licensing board of the profession within which the radiological practical technician will be practicing." Stewart described the amendment as a compromise reached after meetings with dental and technician stakeholders; the amendment passed by voice vote.

The bill was placed at the top of the third-reading calendar and a brief period to finalize language was agreed on the floor. No formal final passage was recorded in the transcript excerpt provided; the Senate moved the bill forward for third reading.

What’s next: SB32 will appear on the third-reading calendar for a final vote and any additional amendments.

Sources: Floor discussion and amendment adoption during Jan. 26 Senate floor proceedings.