HCS SB 177 -- PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION

SPONSOR:  Shields (Behnen)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass by consent" by the Committee on
Professional Registration and Licensing by a vote of 11 to 0.

This substitute changes the laws regarding the Division of
Professional Registration and the Department of Health and Senior
Services.  The substitute:

(1)  Includes extractions to the definition of "primary dental
care" and "preventive health services";

(2)  Authorizes the Department of Health and Senior Services to
establish a fee schedule for specific licenses for emergency
personnel.  Moneys collected by the department will be deposited
into the Missouri Public Health Services Fund.  These provisions
will not apply to persons employed by volunteer ambulance
services;

(3)  Removes the grandfather provisions regarding the licensing
of geologists;

(4)  Increases from 750 to 800 the number of hours a manicurist
apprentice must complete in order to be licensed.  Persons are
allowed to make application for the required licensing
examination if they are graduates of a foreign cosmetology
program and the State Board of Cosmetology determines that the
program has educational requirements which are substantially the
same as an educational establishment licensed by the board;

(5)  Establishes the Dental Hygienist Distance Learning Committee
and authorizes the Department of Economic Development to contract
with an institution of higher education to establish a distant
dental hygienist learning program for the purpose of off-site
clinical and didactic training.  The program must meet all
standards established by the Council on Dental Accreditation;

(6)  Removes conflicting provisions of law regarding the
definition of "physician assistants";

(7)  Requires applicants for licensure as clinical social workers
to complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience under a
licensed clinical social worker within a specified period of
time.  The substitute removes the requirement that licensed
clinical social workers applying for a Missouri license pass an
examination on Missouri laws and regulations governing the
practice of social work and be a member in good standing of the
Academy of Certified Social Workers.  The substitute authorizes
the State Committee for Social Workers to require a minimum of 30
hours of continuing education for license renewal, requires the
committee to establish ethical standards based on the code of
ethics of the National Association of Social Workers, and
clarifies the practice of baccalaureate social work;

(8)  Requires all nursing home administrators licenses to expire
on June 30 following the year it was issued and every other year
thereafter.  An administrator seeking a renewal must file an
application during the month of May of the year of their renewal,
accompanied by a fee, as provided by rule, payable to the
Department of Health and Senior Services.  All licenses issued or
renewed during 2006 may be for either a one- or two-year term as
dictated by rule;

(9)  Redefines "student athlete" within the provisions regarding
athletic contracts;

(10)  Removes the requirement that the division wait 30 days
before informing a licensee that they are in violation of their
licensing requirements prior to engaging in settlement
negotiations and shortens the time from 60 to 30 days that the
licensee has to consider the settlement offer prior to contacting
the respective board to discuss the settlement offer; and

(11)  Authorizes the Board of Pharmacy to prepare an equitable
salary schedule for employees attributed to the inspection of
licensed entities.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Income on General Revenue Fund of
$486,542 in FY 2006, $584,840 in FY 2007, and $577,142 in FY
2008.  Estimated Cost on Other State Funds of Unknown in FY 2006,
FY 2007, and FY 2008.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill allows dentists
performing gratuitous dental services to perform extractions.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Behnen; and Missouri
Dental Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Bob Dominique, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
93rd General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated August 25, 2005 at 1:21 pm