HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 7

BYHouse Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Wang and Patrick)

Modifying provisions relating to regulation of professions.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (10)

     Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisch, Fisher, R. King, O'Brien, Patrick, Sayan, C. Smith and Walker.

Minority Report:     Do not pass.  (1)

     Signed by Representative Sanders.

House Staff:Joan Elgee (786-7166)

Rereferred House Committee on Ways & Means/Appropriations

Majority Report:     The substitute bill by Committee on Commerce & Labor be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (15)

     Signed by Representatives Locke, Chair; Allen, Belcher, Braddock, Brekke, Bristow, Ebersole, Grant, Grimm, Niemi, Peery, Sayan, H. Sommers, Sprenkle and B. Williams.

Minority Report:     Do not pass.  (6)

     Signed by Representatives Fuhrman, Holland, McLean, Nealey, Silver and L. Smith.

House Staff:    Susan Kavanaugh (786-7145)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 11, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Recent debate has occurred regarding the utility of occupational regulation.  One view is that regulation may not be necessary to protect the public but instead creates unnecessary barriers to entry into a profession and raises costs to the consumer.

In 1983, Washington established a sunrise review process for health professions.  The chapter states legislative intent that no regulation be imposed except for the purpose of protecting the public interest.  Upon request by the appropriate legislative committee, any interest group seeking regulation of a health profession not presently regulated or which proposes to substantially increase the scope of practice of a profession currently must justify its proposal by addressing statutory criteria. The interest groups must submit the information to the state health coordinating council, which then makes recommendations to the legislature.

SUMMARY:

The sunrise review process is expanded to apply to business professions.  Review of the business profession proposals will be performed by the Department of Licensing.  The legislature intends that the Department's policy and research rather than regulatory staff perform the reviews, and that the reviews and recommendations be impartial.

The review process is modified for currently regulated professions.  Proposals to increase the level of regulation as well as proposals to increase the scope of practice are subject to the review process.  Proposals relating solely to continuing education are excluded.

Appropriation:  $84,372 to the Department of Licensing.

Fiscal Note:    Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     (Commerce & Labor)  Paul Isaki, Office of the Governor; Chris Rose, Department of Licensing; Andrew Kollmer, Washington Association of Realtors; and Frank Densmore, American Institute of Architects (with concerns).

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  Representative Art Wang.

House Committee - Testified Against: (Commerce & Labor)  None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     (Commerce & Labor)  The sunrise process for health professions has worked well.  In pursuing deregulation, it is useful to review what triggers regulation in the first place.  The sunrise concept recognizes the principle that it is in the public interest to have the least intrusive form of regulation.

(Ways & Means/Appropriations)  Promotes efforts to ensure that only necessary regulation of businesses and professions occurs.

House Committee - Testimony Against: (Commerce & Labor)  None Presented.