House orders third reading of H.870 to update Office of Professional Regulation statutes

The House ordered third reading of H.870, a bill described as routine housekeeping for the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) that makes multiple technical and substantive changes across regulated professions.

Representative Nugent (Member from South Burlington), speaking for the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs, said the bill "represents annual housekeeping for the office of professional regulation" and outlined sections that update the professional regulatory fee fund, add "impeding an inspection" to unprofessional conduct, modify scope-of-practice and licensure rules for aestheticians, barbering and cosmetology shops, nursing subchapter reorganizations, osteopathy student supervision, temporary radiology practitioner licensing, and changes to tattooing, body piercing and permanent cosmetics regulation. Nugent also noted that Section 19 would make the act effective upon passage.

The committee reported favorably (the transcript records a committee vote phrase shown as "1200"), and the presiding officer ordered third reading. The transcript records committee witnesses including legislative counsel, OPR and the Vermont Medical Society; no floor amendments were recorded during the second-reading presentation in the provided transcript.