The authority and responsibilities of the Department of Safety and Professional Services and the various boards under that department, the membership of the Cosmetology Examining Board, professional licensure of pharmacists, the Pharmacy Examining Board's operation of the prescription drug monitoring program, authorizing the construction, installation, alteration, operation, and inspection of elevators and other similar conveyances, and licensing requirements for elevator mechanics, inspectors, and contractors. (FE)

Under the bill, DSPS must also take the fingerprints of an applicant for a real estate appraiser certification or license, and the bill requires DSPS to submit the fingerprints of an applicant for a real estate appraiser certification or license to the federal bureau of investigation.

2. The bill authorizes DSPS or the appropriate board to reprimand a credential holder, or deny, limit, suspend, or revoke a credential, if the credential holder fails to respond, to the satisfaction of the department or the appropriate board, within 30 days to a request for information from the department or board in connection with an investigation of alleged misconduct of the credential holder.

3. Under current law, no more than two members of the Cosmetology Examining Board may be affiliated with a cosmetology school. The bill increases that number to four.

4. Current law prohibits the Pharmacy Examining Board from issuing a license to practice pharmacy in this state to a person who is licensed in another state if that person has had a license to practice pharmacy in another state voluntarily surrendered, limited, suspended, or revoked. The bill gives the Pharmacy Examining Board discretion to grant or deny a license to practice pharmacy in this state to such a person.

5. Under current law, a pharmacist may renew his or her license by satisfying certain continuing education requirements and paying the required renewal fee on or before the renewal date. If a pharmacist fails to renew his or her license by the renewal date, the pharmacist may not practice pharmacy unless the pharmacist passes an examination to the satisfaction of the Pharmacy Examining Board.

The bill authorizes, but does not require, the board to suspend a pharmacist's license if the pharmacist fails to renew his or her license by the renewal date, and the bill authorizes, but does not require, the Pharmacy Examining Board to require the pharmacist to pass an examination to restore the pharmacist's license.

6. Current law requires the Pharmacy Examining Board to establish a prescription drug monitoring program. Under the program, a pharmacist or other practitioner must generate a record documenting the dispensing of each prescription drug that is subject to the program, generally certain controlled substances or other drugs the Pharmacy Examining Board identifies as having a substantial potential for abuse. The pharmacist or practitioner must then deliver that record to the Pharmacy Examining Board.

This bill applies the requirements of the prescription drug monitoring program to pharmacies instead of pharmacists and to any practitioner who dispenses a prescription drug subject to the program outside of a pharmacy. The bill also creates an exemption from the prescription drug monitoring program for a schedule V controlled substance if the substance is not a narcotic and the prescription order is for a number of doses that is intended to last the patient seven days or less.

Buildings and Safety This bill contains various changes to current law that governs the construction, installation, alteration, operation, and inspection of elevators and other lifts that move people and things. The changes include the following:

1. Authorizes cities and villages to issue permits to construct, install, or alter elevators and lifts and changes the term used in the statutes for this type of permit from "permit" to "approval."

2. Authorizes cities and villages to issue and renew operating permits for elevators and lifts and to conduct inspections for purposes of issuing and renewing these permits.

3. Changes current law as to when a licensed elevator mechanic or inspector must satisfy the applicable continuing education requirements and eliminates the continuing legal education requirements for elevator contractors.

4. Eliminates the requirement that an elevator inspector hold a certification issued by an entity approved by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.