Sen. Wicklund presents negotiated licensing omnibus; committee adopts A26 and sends bill to floor

Senator Wicklund, a member of the Senate, told the Senate Finance Committee on May 15 that House File 3825 is the result of negotiations with the House and includes most of the provisions the Senate previously debated, with a few changes.

The bill updates practice rules in the acupuncture and herbal medicine article, incorporates APRN language in article 11 and adds language from a Senate floor amendment concerning practicing without a license. Wicklund said the provision that would have changed the title "physician assistant" to "physician associate" was removed from this version. He said a short spreadsheet of items accompanying the bill is the same as when the bill was previously heard and offered to answer questions from members.

Members adopted the A26 amendment on a voice vote after Senator Wicklund moved it, and later, with no further questions, Wicklund moved that House File 3825 as amended be recommended to pass and sent to the Senate floor. The committee approved that motion by voice vote.

The committee had fiscal staff present for questions but, aside from clarifications about which provisions were carried into the negotiated package, members did not request a detailed walk‑through of the bill's articles. Senator Pappas asked whether this was the same licensing bill that had passed the Senate floor and been referred to the House; Wicklund confirmed it is the negotiated package with the changes described above.

The committee ordered the bill to the floor for further consideration.