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UtahS.B. 442025 General SessionSenateWALLET

Professional Licensure Amendments

Sponsored By: Evan J. Vickers (Republican)

Signed by Governor

BusinessBackground ChecksOffice of Licensing and Background ChecksOccupational and Professional Licensing

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

14 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 6 costs, 4 mixed.

License applicants face checks and fees

Beginning May 7, 2025, Utah's unified licensing checks require fingerprints and consent to state, regional, and national criminal-history checks. The requirements cover listed licenses and certifications, including renewals, reinstatements, relicensure, and recertification. Applicants pay state and FBI processing fees, in addition to other licensing fees; amounts are not stated. If a check after licensing finds inaccurate criminal-history disclosures, the Division may notify the licensee of immediate, automatic revocation. The licensee has a right to challenge that revocation at an administrative hearing.

Pharmacy access changes alongside screening rules

Covered pharmacist, endorsement, intern, and technician applicants no longer face the listed qualification requiring freedom from specified criminal convictions. They still must complete background checks, meet related state standards, and disclose requested criminal history. Pharmacy license applicants must ensure the pharmacist-in-charge completes these steps for each license other than class D. For class D pharmacies, each pharmacy manager must complete them.

Electricians gain licensing and work flexibility

Master residential, journeyman, and residential journeyman electricians can qualify through an expedited route set by commission rule. With the director's agreement, those rules must require proof of the knowledge and skills needed for the license. Starting in their fourth training year, licensed apprentices can work unsupervised for up to eight hours in any 24-hour period. On residential projects, one licensed supervisor can oversee up to three licensed apprentices, unless commission rules allow more.

Eligible social workers get extra exam time

Division rules must allow extra time on the clinical social worker exam when an eligible applicant requests it. Eligibility includes foreign-born legal U.S. residents whose second language is English. Enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes also qualify. The law does not specify how much extra time applicants receive.

Nursing drops separate conditional license rules

The nursing section no longer makes new licenses or certifications conditional while background checks are pending. It also removes that section's immediate automatic-revocation rule for inaccurate criminal-history disclosures. These removals do not eliminate background checks or the separate revocation authority under the unified licensing law.

Physicians gain application and residency flexibility

Physician and surgeon applicants may authorize an optional records service approved by the Division and licensing board. It can coordinate and verify application records. A separate pathway requires 12 months of approved post-degree residency and successful participation in an approved Utah progressive residency. Applicants enter that Utah program in their second or third postgraduate year and agree to surrender their license upon losing good standing. Revocation for losing good standing is now discretionary rather than automatic.

Health workers face broader background checks

Covered health and massage applicants must complete Utah's unified background check, meet related state standards, and disclose requested criminal history. Coverage includes nursing, nurse midwifery, physical therapy and assistants, occupational therapy and assistants, and osteopathic physicians, including covered endorsement applicants. It also covers massage therapists, apprentices, assistants, and assistants-in-training. Checks now cover all physician and surgeon applicants and all occupational therapy applicants, not just those seeking compact participation. Beginning May 7, 2025, dentists, dental hygienists, anesthesiologist assistants, naturopathic physicians, chiropractors, and all physician assistant applicants are covered. Physical therapy requirements include covered applicants educated abroad or licensed in another U.S. jurisdiction.

Mental health applicants face background checks

Clinical and certified social workers, marriage and family therapists, and clinical mental health counselors must complete unified background checks. This includes associate therapist and counselor applicants, master addiction counselors, and associate master addiction counselors. Covered psychologists, psychology residents, and certified or provisional prescribing psychologists must also complete the checks. All covered applicants must meet related Division standards and disclose requested criminal history on approved forms.

Security workers face unified screening rules

Alarm agents, armed and unarmed private security officers, and armored car security officers must complete unified background checks. Deception detection examiners, interns, and examination administrators must do the same. Covered applicants must meet related state standards and disclose requested criminal history. The Division can set FBI review timing by rule for security-services license applications and renewals; this law sets no schedule.

Business leaders must pass licensing checks

Contractor applicants must complete background checks, meet related state standards, and disclose requested criminal history. For business applicants, this also covers the individual qualifier and each person with at least a 10% voting interest. Alarm, armored car, and contract security companies must collect identifying information and fingerprints from covered leaders directly managing Utah operations. Covered leaders include officers, owners, proprietors, trustees, and responsible managers. Those leaders must also complete the checks, meet related standards, and disclose requested criminal history.

Contractors face recurring ownership reports

Unincorporated licensed contractors must report owners who each hold less than 8% and work or will work in Utah construction. Those with more than five such owners file every 30 days; those with five or fewer file with license renewal. Unincorporated entities supplying construction labor through an owner must file an ownership list before that owner starts work. Those entities then file status reports every 30 days. A Division-set fee applies when a filing shows a reportable ownership change, and the Division may audit reports.

Licensing records get mixed privacy protections

Social Security numbers submitted under specified contractor and alarm-company application requirements are private records. The Division may also classify applicants' identity evidence as private. The amended background-check section removes its express ban on sharing state and FBI criminal-history records outside the Division. That removal does not itself say when records may be shared or who may receive them.

Physician citations carry firm hearing deadlines

Covered medical and osteopathic practice citations become final unless the cited person requests a hearing within 20 calendar days after service. After that deadline, no further agency review is available. The Division may extend the contest period for cause. It cannot issue a covered citation more than one year after receiving the violation report.

Physician fund supports training and enforcement

With board agreement, the director may use the Physician Education and Enforcement Fund for professional and controlled-substance training. Training can serve specified licensed professionals, Division staff, and board members. Money can also support medical, osteopathic, and naturopathic enforcement, including investigations, legal representation, and renewal-compliance monitoring. Beginning May 7, 2025, naturopathic licensing penalties must go into this fund; those penalties can reach $10,000. The law states no new appropriation or distribution amount.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Evan J. Vickers

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

  • A. Cory Maloy

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 170 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/20/2025

Senate/ concurs with House amendment

Yes: 25 • No: 0

House vote • 2/19/2025

House/ passed 3rd reading

Yes: 68 • No: 0

House vote • 2/5/2025

House Comm - Substitute Recommendation

Yes: 9 • No: 0

House vote • 2/5/2025

House Comm - Favorable Recommendation

Yes: 9 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/24/2025

Senate/ passed 3rd reading

Yes: 25 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/23/2025

Senate/ passed 2nd reading

Yes: 28 • No: 0

Senate vote • 1/22/2025

Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation

Yes: 6 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Governor Signed

    3/26/2025

  2. Senate/ to Governor

    3/12/2025Senate

  3. Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing

    3/12/2025Senate

  4. Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing

    2/27/2025Senate

  5. Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate

    2/27/2025

  6. Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared

    2/24/2025

  7. Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling

    2/24/2025

  8. Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling

    2/21/2025Senate

  9. Senate/ received from House

    2/21/2025Senate

  10. House/ to Senate

    2/20/2025House

  11. House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate

    2/20/2025House

  12. House/ received from Senate

    2/20/2025House

  13. Senate/ to House

    2/20/2025Senate

  14. Senate/ concurs with House amendment

    2/20/2025Senate

  15. Senate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar

    2/19/2025Senate

  16. Senate/ received from House

    2/19/2025Senate

  17. House/ to Senate

    2/19/2025House

  18. House/ passed 3rd reading

    2/19/2025House

  19. House/ 3rd reading

    2/19/2025House

  20. House/ 2nd reading

    2/13/2025House

  21. House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar

    2/13/2025House

  22. House/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact

    2/6/2025House

  23. House/ comm rpt/ substituted

    2/6/2025House

  24. House Comm - Favorable Recommendation

    2/5/2025House

  25. House Comm - Substitute Recommendation

    2/5/2025House

Bill Text

  • Enrolled

    2/27/2025

    PDF

  • Substitute #1

    2/5/2025

    PDF

  • Introduced

    12/27/2024

    PDF

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