SENATE BILL 387

54th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2019

INTRODUCED BY

Gerald Ortiz y Pino

AN ACT

RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL LICENSES; REQUIRING THE REGULATION AND LICENSING DEPARTMENT TO PERFORM A STUDY OF INTERSTATE REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE IN HEALTH-RELATED FIELDS; REQUIRING REPORTING OF THE STUDY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. TEMPORARY PROVISION--STUDY OF HEALTH-RELATED LICENSING REQUIREMENTS--REPORTING.--

          A. The regulation and licensing department shall conduct a study of all health-related boards and commissions overseen by the department that shall include evaluation of all licenses overseen by a health-related board or commission and all requirements for each initial license application and renewal application. The boards and commissions and the corresponding licensure requirements to be studied shall include:

(1) acupuncture and oriental medicine;

(2) counseling and therapy practice;

(3) chiropractic examiners;

(4) dental health care;

(5) nutrition and dietetics;

(6) occupational therapy;

(7) optometry;

(8) osteopathic medicine;

(9) pharmacy;

(10) physical therapy;

(11) podiatry;

(12) psychologist examiners;

(13) respiratory care;

(14) social work; and

                (15) speech language pathology, audiology and hearing aid dispensing.

          B. The study shall include, at a minimum:

                (1) a comparative analysis of each state's and each territory's initial and renewal licensure requirements for the health-related fields overseen by boards or commissions that are similar to those listed in Subsection A of this section. The study shall identify licensure requirements that:

                     (a) are unique to New Mexico and not required in other states or territories, which states and territories shall be identified in the study; and

                     (b) could be eliminated or lessened to make licensure in New Mexico's health-related fields easier and more efficient;

                (2) a breakdown in plain language of those licensure requirements that are not required by some, a majority of or all other states and territories;

                (3) identification of opportunities for New Mexico to join existing interstate compacts by which licenses granted by member states in health-related fields pursuant to Subsection A of this section that are overseen by boards or commissions are granted or recognized by other member states in a system of reciprocity or a similar system; and

                (4) an explanation in plain language of how each board and commission listed pursuant to Subsection A of this section could make its initial and renewal licensure processes easier and more efficient for applicants.

          C. The regulation and licensing department shall provide the study findings and recommendations to each board or commission listed pursuant to Subsection A of this section by January 1, 2020.

          D. The regulation and licensing department shall report its findings and recommendations, including recommended executive and legislative actions, to the legislative health and human services committee by June 30, 2020.

     SECTION 2. APPROPRIATION.--Two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the regulation and licensing department for expenditure in fiscal year 2020 to perform a fifty-state study, including United States territories, of requirements for licensure in health-related fields to recommend changes to make New Mexico licensure less cumbersome for applicants. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2020 shall revert to the general fund.

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