Brief(1)
H.B. 2032 standardizes the caps on fees paid by professions licensed and registered by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. A new statute created by the bill sets out maximum fees for a license or registration application, original license or registration, examination, license or registration renewal, reinstatement of a license or registration, replacement or duplicate of a license or registration, temporary permit or license, application for endorsement in a speciality, biennial renewal of endorsement, late renewal penalty, exchange of a license in lieu of a registration, and application for approval as a continuing education sponsor. All such fees are set by the Board through rules and regulations.
H.B. 2032 amends statutes in the Professional Counselors Licensure Act, the Marriage and Family Therapists Licensure Act, the Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Counselors Registration Act, the Licensure of Psychologists Act of the State of Kansas, a statute under which social workers are licensed, and the statutes under which masters level psychologists are licensed to delete fee maximums that now appear in the individual acts and that will be replaced by the new statute created by the bill that establishes uniform fee maximums.
Background
H.B. 2032 was prepared by and introduced at the request of the Task Force on Providers of Mental Health Services. (See Report of the Task Force on Providers of Mental Health Services to the 1999 Kansas Legislature page 8.) A member of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board appeared in support of H.B. 2032 and a representative of the Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers appeared in opposition at the House Committee hearing on the bill.
The fiscal note indicates there would be no immediate fiscal effect from passage of H.B. 2032 since the bill sets "caps" on fees only and the current fees are continued in existence until changed by action of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html.