Committee adopts SB149 second substitute to move private-investigator and bail-bond licensing to DOPL

Senator Wyler and the sponsor team said SB149 began as a cleanup bill and expanded while coordinating with related legislation; the second substitute moves the Private Investigators Licensing Act and related bail-bonds licensing from the Bureau of Criminal Identification/Department of Public Safety (BCI/DPS) into the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL).

Michelle Palmer, president of the Private Investigators Association of Utah, testified in support: "I'm confident that we have a bill that's good for professional investigators as well as the public," she said, noting the change would be the first major update to the PI license in 31 years and that practitioners want a smooth transition.

Mark Steinagel, managing director at the Utah Department of Commerce (DOPL oversight), said the division has discussed capacity and budget-neutral transitions with DPS and believes the division can absorb the licensing function while minimizing startup costs.

The committee adopted the second substitute and later recommended the substitute favorably on voice vote. Committee members discussed the rationale that licensing and regulatory expertise best sit with the licensing division while law-enforcement functions remain with DPS/BCI.