SB 345

Professional Regulation

This bill makes a number of changes to the laws governing professional

regulation in Wisconsin, including the following:

1. Under current law, the Department of Safety and Professional Services

(DSPS) is required to take the fingerprints of an applicant for a private detective

license or a private security permit, an applicant for a juvenile martial arts

instructor permit, and a person for whom DSPS conducts an investigation into the

person's criminal history. Current law authorizes DSPS to submit the fingerprints

to the federal bureau of investigation.

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