Board recommends two-year limit for exemptions on retaking passed sections of licensing exam

Members of a licensing board voted to recommend that the Department of Public Health adopt a two-year limit on how long a candidate may be excused from retaking portions of a licensing exam they have already passed. The board added the issue to its agenda, debated time frames and voted to forward the recommendation to the department.

The vote grew out of an earlier, tabled item about limiting the number of times a candidate may be exempted from retaking sections of the exam. Jenny Rebar moved to add the tabled item to the agenda and later moved that the board recommend a two-year limit on the exemption; Alden seconded the motion. Rebar said the board would inform absent members Celeste, Judith and Steve of the action.

Board members discussed whether the limit should be two or three years. Alden said, "I think 2 would be fair and 3 would be generous," and Minerva argued that "2 years would definitely be fair," noting that if the exam is offered twice a year that would create "four opportunities" for candidates to pass within two years. The board clarified it was considering a chronological limit (a two-year window) rather than a fixed number of retake attempts.

The board framed the vote as a recommendation to the Department of Public Health rather than a binding rule change. An attendee, identified as Skip, asked about the application deadline; the chair said she had been telling people "March 31," but that no department staff were present to confirm an official deadline. The board recorded the motion as carried and adjourned the meeting.

Next steps: the chair said she would inform absent board members and the board's recommendation will be sent to the Department of Public Health for consideration. No departmental representative was present at the meeting to respond or provide implementation details.