FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1418

C 351 L 11

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Concerning evaluating military training and experience toward meeting certain professional licensing requirements.

Sponsors: Representatives Rolfes, McCune, Appleton, Kirby, Kelley, Zeiger, Seaquist, Finn, Haigh, Dammeier, Angel, Jinkins, Stanford and Smith.

House Committee on Business & Financial Services

Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection

Background:

The Department of Licensing (Department) regulates certain businesses and professions. Each regulated business and profession has a separate set of laws and separate licensing requirements. Some businesses and professions are under the authority of the Director of the Department (Director) and others are under a board or commission charged with regulating the particular business or profession.

The professions that are regulated directly by the Department include auctioneers, cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, real estate brokers and managing brokers, real estate appraisers, court reporters, private investigators, security guards, bail bond and bail bond recovery agents, home inspectors, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, driver training school instructors, timeshare salespersons, and professional athletics licensees.

The following professions are regulated by a board:

• architects, State Board for Architects;

• engineers, land surveyors, and on-site wastewater treatment system designers, Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors;

• embalmers and funeral directors, Funeral and Cemetery Board;

• landscape architects, State Board of Licensure for Landscape Architects;

• geologists, Geologist Licensing Board;

Licensing requirements for these professions vary considerably. Some of the licenses require college level coursework (or equivalent) and experience requirements. These professions include architects, engineers, land surveyors, embalmers, funeral directors, landscape architects, on-site wastewater treatment system designers, and geologists.

Other professions require some level of training or work experience to be licensed. These include cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, real estate brokers and managing brokers, real estate appraisers, court reporters, security guards, home inspectors, and driver training school instructors.

Other professions might require an examination, a surety bond, minimum safety standards, or other requirements, but do not require that applicants have specific training or experience to be licensed. These professions include auctioneers, bail bond and bail bond recovery agents, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, and timeshare salespersons.

Summary:

Military training or experience is considered to satisfy training and experience requirements of certain professional licenses unless the Department or other regulatory body determines that the training and experience is not substantially equivalent to the standards of the state.

The designated professions are architects, cosmetologists, barbers, manicurists, estheticians, engineers, land surveyors, security guards, auctioneers, embalmers and funeral directors, real estate brokers and managing brokers, landscape architects, appraisers, court reporters, private investigators, bail bond agents, on-site wastewater treatment system designers, geologists, home inspectors, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, driver training school instructors, timeshare salespersons, and professional athletic licensees.

Votes on Final Passage: