Section 324.001

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 324

Effective - 28 Aug 2009, 4 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  324.001.  Division of professional registration established, duties — boards and commissions assigned to — reference to division in statutes. — 1.  For the purposes of this section, the following terms mean:

  (1)  "Department", the department of insurance, financial institutions and professional registration;

  (2)  "Director", the director of the division of professional registration; and

  (3)  "Division", the division of professional registration.

  2.  There is hereby established a "Division of Professional Registration" assigned to the department of insurance, financial institutions and professional registration as a type III transfer, headed by a director appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate.  All of the general provisions, definitions and powers enumerated in section 1 of the Omnibus State Reorganization Act of 1974 and Executive Order 06-04 shall apply to this department and its divisions, agencies, and personnel.

  3.  The director of the division of professional registration shall promulgate rules and regulations which designate for each board or commission assigned to the division the renewal date for licenses or certificates.  After the initial establishment of renewal dates, no director of the division shall promulgate a rule or regulation which would change the renewal date for licenses or certificates if such change in renewal date would occur prior to the date on which the renewal date in effect at the time such new renewal date is specified next occurs.  Each board or commission shall by rule or regulation establish licensing periods of one, two, or three years.  Registration fees set by a board or commission shall be effective for the entire licensing period involved, and shall not be increased during any current licensing period.  Persons who are required to pay their first registration fees shall be allowed to pay the pro rata share of such fees for the remainder of the period remaining at the time the fees are paid.  Each board or commission shall provide the necessary forms for initial registration, and thereafter the director may prescribe standard forms for renewal of licenses and certificates.  Each board or commission shall by rule and regulation require each applicant to provide the information which is required to keep the board's records current.  Each board or commission shall have the authority to collect and analyze information required to support workforce planning and policy development.  Such information shall not be publicly disclosed so as to identify a specific health care provider, as defined in section 376.1350.  Each board or commission shall issue the original license or certificate.

  4.  The division shall provide clerical and other staff services relating to the issuance and renewal of licenses for all the professional licensing and regulating boards and commissions assigned to the division.  The division shall perform the financial management and clerical functions as they each relate to issuance and renewal of licenses and certificates.  "Issuance and renewal of licenses and certificates" means the ministerial function of preparing and delivering licenses or certificates, and obtaining material and information for the board or commission in connection with the renewal thereof.  It does not include any discretionary authority with regard to the original review of an applicant's qualifications for licensure or certification, or the subsequent review of licensee's or certificate holder's qualifications, or any disciplinary action contemplated against the licensee or certificate holder.  The division may develop and implement microfilming systems and automated or manual management information systems.

  5.  The director of the division shall maintain a system of accounting and budgeting, in cooperation with the director of the department, the office of administration, and the state auditor's office, to ensure proper charges are made to the various boards for services rendered to them.  The general assembly shall appropriate to the division and other state agencies from each board's funds moneys sufficient to reimburse the division and other state agencies for all services rendered and all facilities and supplies furnished to that board.

  6.  For accounting purposes, the appropriation to the division and to the office of administration for the payment of rent for quarters provided for the division shall be made from the "Professional Registration Fees Fund", which is hereby created, and is to be used solely for the purpose defined in subsection 5 of this section.  The fund shall consist of moneys deposited into it from each board's fund.  Each board shall contribute a prorated amount necessary to fund the division for services rendered and rent based upon the system of accounting and budgeting established by the director of the division as provided in subsection 5 of this section.  Transfers of funds to the professional registration fees fund shall be made by each board on July first of each year; provided, however, that the director of the division may establish an alternative date or dates of transfers at the request of any board.  Such transfers shall be made until they equal the prorated amount for services rendered and rent by the division.  The provisions of section 33.080 to the contrary notwithstanding, money in this fund shall not be transferred and placed to the credit of general revenue.

  7.  The director of the division shall be responsible for collecting and accounting for all moneys received by the division or its component agencies.  Any money received by a board or commission shall be promptly given, identified by type and source, to the director.  The director shall keep a record by board and state accounting system classification of the amount of revenue the director receives.  The director shall promptly transmit all receipts to the department of revenue for deposit in the state treasury to the credit of the appropriate fund.  The director shall provide each board with all relevant financial information in a timely fashion.  Each board shall cooperate with the director by providing necessary information.

  8.  All educational transcripts, test scores, complaints, investigatory reports, and information pertaining to any person who is an applicant or licensee of any agency assigned to the division of professional registration by statute or by the department are confidential and may not be disclosed to the public or any member of the public, except with the written consent of the person whose records are involved.  The agency which possesses the records or information shall disclose the records or information if the person whose records or information is involved has consented to the disclosure.  Each agency is entitled to the attorney-client privilege and work-product privilege to the same extent as any other person.  Provided, however, that any board may disclose confidential information without the consent of the person involved in the course of voluntary interstate exchange of information, or in the course of any litigation concerning that person, or pursuant to a lawful request, or to other administrative or law enforcement agencies acting within the scope of their statutory authority.  Information regarding identity, including names and addresses, registration, and currency of the license of the persons possessing licenses to engage in a professional occupation and the names and addresses of applicants for such licenses is not confidential information.

  9.  Any deliberations conducted and votes taken in rendering a final decision after a hearing before an agency assigned to the division shall be closed to the parties and the public.  Once a final decision is rendered, that decision shall be made available to the parties and the public.

  10.  A compelling governmental interest shall be deemed to exist for the purposes of section 536.025 for licensure fees to be reduced by emergency rule, if the projected fund balance of any agency assigned to the division of professional registration is reasonably expected to exceed an amount that would require transfer from that fund to general revenue.

  11.  (1)  The following boards and commissions are assigned by specific type transfers to the division of professional registration: Missouri state board of accountancy, chapter 326; board of cosmetology and barber examiners, chapters 328 and 329; Missouri board for architects, professional engineers, professional land surveyors and landscape architects, chapter 327; Missouri state board of chiropractic examiners, chapter 331; state board of registration for the healing arts, chapter 334; Missouri dental board, chapter 332; state board of embalmers and funeral directors, chapter 333; state board of optometry, chapter 336; Missouri state board of nursing, chapter 335; board of pharmacy, chapter 338; state board of podiatric medicine, chapter 330; Missouri real estate appraisers commission, chapter 339; and Missouri veterinary medical board, chapter 340.  The governor shall appoint members of these boards by and with the advice and consent of the senate.

  (2)  The boards and commissions assigned to the division shall exercise all their respective statutory duties and powers, except those clerical and other staff services involving collecting and accounting for moneys and financial management relating to the issuance and renewal of licenses, which services shall be provided by the division, within the appropriation therefor.  Nothing herein shall prohibit employment of professional examining or testing services from professional associations or others as required by the boards or commissions on contract.  Nothing herein shall be construed to affect the power of a board or commission to expend its funds as appropriated.  However, the division shall review the expense vouchers of each board.  The results of such review shall be submitted to the board reviewed and to the house and senate appropriations committees annually.

  (3)  Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the director of the division shall exercise only those management functions of the boards and commissions specifically provided in the Reorganization Act of 1974, and those relating to the allocation and assignment of space, personnel other than board personnel, and equipment.

  (4)  "Board personnel", as used in this section or chapters 317, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, and 345, shall mean personnel whose functions and responsibilities are in areas not related to the clerical duties involving the issuance and renewal of licenses, to the collecting and accounting for moneys, or to financial management relating to issuance and renewal of licenses; specifically included are executive secretaries (or comparable positions), consultants, inspectors, investigators, counsel, and secretarial support staff for these positions; and such other positions as are established and authorized by statute for a particular board or commission.  Boards and commissions may employ legal counsel, if authorized by law, and temporary personnel if the board is unable to meet its responsibilities with the employees authorized above.  Any board or commission which hires temporary employees shall annually provide the division director and the appropriation committees of the general assembly with a complete list of all persons employed in the previous year, the length of their employment, the amount of their remuneration, and a description of their responsibilities.

  (5)  Board personnel for each board or commission shall be employed by and serve at the pleasure of the board or commission, shall be supervised as the board or commission designates, and shall have their duties and compensation prescribed by the board or commission, within appropriations for that purpose, except that compensation for board personnel shall not exceed that established for comparable positions as determined by the board or commission pursuant to the job and pay plan of the department of insurance, financial institutions and professional registration.  Nothing herein shall be construed to permit salaries for any board personnel to be lowered except by board action.

  12.  All the powers, duties, and functions of the division of athletics, chapter 317, and others, are assigned by type I transfer to the division of professional registration.

  13.  Wherever the laws, rules, or regulations of this state make reference to the "division of professional registration of the department of economic development", such references shall be deemed to refer to the division of professional registration.

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(L. 2008 S.B. 788, A.L. 2009 S.B. 296)