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Legislative auditor recommends staggered extensions for six licensing boards after finding vacancies, fee gaps and backlog delays
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Summary
The committee reviewed SB 211 and legislative audit reports recommending extensions for six occupational licensing boards. Auditors flagged lengthy vacancies, fee‑setting delays that produced deficits, investigative backlogs and federal compliance issues for the appraisers board.
The House Labor and Commerce Committee reviewed Senate Bill 211 on April 1, a bill to extend the sunset dates for six professional licensing boards while lawmakers consider audit recommendations. Conrad Jackson (staff to Sen. Bjorkman) introduced the bill; Deputy Legislative Auditor Mark Lundahl summarized the audits and recommended extensions that vary by board—from four to eight years—based on the severity of findings.
What auditors found: Lundahl said common issues included prolonged vacant board seats (one appraiser seat had been vacant 56 months), inconsistent monitoring of continuing education (teletherapy CE tracking gaps), fee‑setting process failures that left some programs operating with deficits, and persistent investigative delays with unjustified periods of inactivity. For the Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers, auditors noted federal appraisal subcommittee findings that state statute needs alignment with federal law.
Division response and fees: Sylvan Raab, director of the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, described routine annual fee analyses covering roughly 45 programs and explained that fee changes must be set in regulation; she said a carry‑forward approach smooths biennial renewal revenue swings. Auditors and the division concurred on many recommendations, including improving recruitment for board seats and addressing investigation backlogs.
Specific board highlights: The audit recommended an eight‑year extension for the Board of Marital and Family Therapy and the Board of Social Work Examiners; a six‑year extension for the Board of Professional Counselors and the Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers; a five‑year extension for the psychologists board; and a four‑year extension for the Real Estate Commission. The real estate recovery fund drew particular scrutiny: auditors reported minimal claims paid while collecting millions in fees and recommended reevaluating the fund’s usefulness.
Next steps: Committee members asked for additional historical context on deficits and said they would seek input from the governor’s boards and commissions office on recruitment and appointment practices. The committee set an amendment deadline for SB 211 at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.
