Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

H.B. 160 (2025GS)

Sponsor

Rep. Gricius, Stephanie

Final action

Governor Signed 3/25/2025

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Spencer J. Cox

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• requires the board to maintain multiple pathways to licensure for architects;
• amends certain processes and procedures related to licensing requirements for:
• architects;
• environmental health scientists;
• land surveyors;
• substance use disorder counselors; and
• geologists; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

20
58-3a-201
58-3a-302
58-20b-302
58-22-302
58-60-506
58-76-302
0
Professional License Degree Amendments
2025 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Stephanie Gricius
Senate Sponsor: Chris H. Wilson
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies licensure requirements.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires the board to maintain multiple pathways to licensure for architects;
amends certain processes and procedures related to licensing requirements for:
architects;
environmental health scientists;
land surveyors;
substance use disorder counselors; and
geologists; and
makes technical and conforming changes. 
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
58-3a-201
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 507
58-3a-302
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2022, Chapter 415
58-20b-302
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 339
58-22-302
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapters 339, 365
58-60-506
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2024, Chapter 420
58-76-302
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 339
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1, Section 
58-3a-201
 is amended to read:
58-3a-201
. Board.
(1)
There is created the Architects and Landscape Architects Licensing Board consisting of:
(a)
four architects;
(b)
two landscape architects; and
(c)
one member of the general public.
(2)
The board shall be appointed and serve in accordance with Section 
58-1-201
.
(3)
The duties and responsibilities of the board shall be in accordance with Sections 
58-1-202
 and 
58-1-203
 with respect to this chapter and Chapter 53, Landscape 
Architects Licensing Act.
(4)
The board shall designate one of 
its
the board's
 members on a permanent or rotating 
basis to:
(a)
assist the division in reviewing complaints concerning the conduct of an individual 
licensed under this chapter or Chapter 53, Landscape Architects Licensing Act; 
and
(b)
advise the division in 
its
the division's
 investigation of these complaints
.
; and
(c)
assist the division to maintain multiple methods to obtain licensure by rule.
(5)
A board member who has, under Subsection (4), reviewed a complaint or advised in its 
investigation may be disqualified from participating with the board when the board 
serves as a presiding officer in an adjudicative proceeding concerning the complaint.
(6)
The board shall maintain at least two pathways for licensure.
Section 2, Section 
58-3a-302
 is amended to read:
58-3a-302
. Qualifications for licensure.
(1)
Except as provided in Subsection 
(2)
, each applicant for licensure as an architect shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
have graduated and received an earned bachelors or masters
hold, at a minimum, a 
bachelor's
 degree from an architecture program meeting criteria established by rule 
by the division in collaboration with the board;
(d)
have successfully completed a program of diversified practical experience 
established by rule by the division in collaboration with the board;
(e)
have successfully passed examinations established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board; and
(f)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualifications for license.
(2)
Each applicant for licensure as an architect by endorsement shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
submit satisfactory evidence of:
(i)
(A)
current licensure in good standing in a jurisdiction recognized by rule by 
the division in collaboration with the board; and
(B)
current certification from the National Council of Architectural Registration 
Boards; or
(ii)
(A)
current license in good standing in a jurisdiction recognized by rule by the 
division in collaboration with the board; and
(B)
full-time employment as a licensed architect as a principal for at least five of 
the last seven years immediately preceding the date of the application;
(d)
have successfully passed an examination established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board; and
(e)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualifications for license.
Section 3, Section 
58-20b-302
 is amended to read:
58-20b-302
. Qualifications for licensure.
(1)
Except as provided in Subsection 
(2)
, an applicant for licensure as an environmental 
health scientist shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
hold, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree
 from an accredited program in a university 
or college, which degree includes completion of specific course work as defined by 
rule
;
(d)
pass an examination as determined by division rule in collaboration with the board; 
and
(e)
pass the Utah Law and Rules Examination for Environmental Health Scientists 
administered by the division.
(2)
An applicant for licensure as an environmental health scientist-in-training shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
hold, at a minimum, a bachelor's degree
 from an accredited program in a university 
or college, which degree includes completion of specific course work as defined by 
rule
;
(d)
pass the Utah Law and Rules Examination for Environmental Health Scientists 
administered by the division; and
(e)
present evidence acceptable to the division and the board that the applicant, when 
licensed
 under this Subsection (2)
, will practice as an environmental health 
scientist-in-training only under the general supervision of a supervising 
environmental health scientist licensed under this chapter.
Section 4, Section 
58-22-302
 is amended to read:
58-22-302
. Qualifications for licensure.
(1)
Each applicant for licensure as a professional engineer shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form prescribed by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
(i)
have graduated and received a bachelors or masters degree from an engineering 
program meeting criteria established by rule by the division in collaboration with 
the board; or
(ii)
have completed the Transportation Engineering Technology and Fundamental 
Engineering College Program before July 1, 1998, under the direction of the Utah 
Department of Transportation and as certified by the Utah Department of 
Transportation;
(d)
have successfully completed a program of qualifying experience established by rule 
by the division in collaboration with the board;
(e)
have successfully passed examinations established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board; and
(f)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualification for licensure.
(2)
Each applicant for licensure as a professional structural engineer shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form prescribed by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
have graduated and received an earned bachelors or masters degree from an 
engineering program meeting criteria established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board;
(d)
have successfully completed three years of licensed professional engineering 
experience established by rule by the division in collaboration with the board, except 
that prior to January 1, 2009, an applicant for licensure may submit a signed affidavit 
in a form prescribed by the division stating that the applicant is currently engaged in 
the practice of structural engineering;
(e)
have successfully passed examinations established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board, except that prior to January 1, 2009, an applicant for 
licensure may submit a signed affidavit in a form prescribed by the division stating 
that the applicant is currently engaged in the practice of structural engineering; and
(f)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualification for licensure.
(3)
Each applicant for licensure as a professional land surveyor shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
(i)
have graduated and received 
hold, at a minimum, 
an associates
, bachelors, or 
masters
 degree from a land surveying program, or an equivalent land surveying 
program, such as a program offered by a technical college described in Section 
53B-2a-105
, 
as approved by the Utah Board of Higher Education, 
established by 
rule by the division in collaboration with the board, and have successfully 
completed a program of qualifying experience in land surveying established by 
rule by the division in collaboration with the board; or
(ii)
have successfully completed a program of qualifying experience in land 
surveying prior to January 1, 2007, in accordance with rules established by the 
division in collaboration with the board;
(d)
have successfully passed examinations established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board; and
(e)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualification for licensure.
(4)
Each applicant for licensure by endorsement shall:
(a)
submit an application in a form 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
submit satisfactory evidence of:
(i)
current licensure in good standing in a jurisdiction recognized by rule by the 
division in collaboration with the board;
(ii)
having successfully passed an examination established by rule by the division in 
collaboration with the board; and
(iii)
full-time employment as a principal for at least five of the last seven years 
immediately preceding the date of the application as a:
(A)
licensed professional engineer for licensure as a professional engineer;
(B)
licensed professional structural engineer for licensure as a structural engineer; 
or
(C)
licensed professional land surveyor for licensure as a professional land 
surveyor; and
(d)
meet with the board or representative of the division upon request for the purpose of 
evaluating the applicant's qualifications for license.
(5)
The rules made to implement this section shall be in accordance with 
Title 63G, Chapter 
3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act
.
Section 5, Section 
58-60-506
 is amended to read:
58-60-506
. Qualifications for licensure.
(1)
Subject to Subsection (2), an applicant for licensure as master addiction counselor based 
on education, training, and experience shall:
(a)
submit an application on a form provided by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(c)
document successful completion of not less than two hours of training in suicide 
prevention obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection 
(1)(d) via a course that the division designates as approved;
(d)
produce a certified transcript from an accredited institution of higher education that 
meets standards established by division rule under Section 
58-1-203
, verifying the 
satisfactory completion of:
(i)
a doctoral or master's degree in:
(A)
substance use disorders or addiction counseling and treatment; or
(B)
a counseling subject approved by the division in collaboration with the board, 
which may include social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family 
therapy, psychology, or medicine;
(ii)
an associate's degree or higher, or 18 credit hours, in substance use disorder or 
addiction counseling and treatment from a regionally accredited institution of 
higher education;
(e)
if required under federal law for any licensee as a master addiction counselor to 
qualify as an eligible professional under CMS rules for Medicare payment, document 
completion of:
(i)
not less than 3,000 hours of clinical supervision, which includes hours accrued 
under Subsection (1)(g); or
(ii)
not less than two years of clinical supervision;
(f)
document successful completion of not less than 1,200 direct client care hours:
(i)
obtained after completion of the education requirements under Subsection 
(1)(d)(ii);
(ii)
subject to Subsection (1)(f)(iii), not less than 100 of which are direct clinical 
supervision hours under the supervision of a clinical supervisor;
(iii)
not less than 25 of which are direct observation hours; and
(iv)
not more than 25 of which are group supervision hours concurrently with more 
than one other applicant for licensure;
(g)
if the applicant for licensure produces a transcript described in Subsection 
(1)(d)(ii)
, 
evidence completion of an additional 200 hours of direct client care hours in 
substance use disorder or addiction treatment;
(h)
(i)
pass the examination requirement established by division rule under Section 
58-1-203
; or
(ii)
satisfy the following requirements:
(A)
document at least one examination attempt that did not result in a passing 
score;
(B)
document successful completion of not less than 500 additional direct client 
care hours, not less than 25 of which are direct clinical supervision hours, and 
not less than five of which are direct observation hours by a clinical supervisor;
(C)
submit to the division a recommendation letter from the applicant's direct 
clinical supervisor; and
(D)
submit to the division a recommendation letter from another licensed mental 
health therapist who has directly observed the applicant's direct client care 
hours and who is not the applicant's direct clinical supervisor; and
(i)
consent to a criminal background check in accordance with Section 
58-60-103.1
 and 
any requirements established by division rule made in accordance with Title 63G, 
Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.
(2)
In lieu of the requirements under Subsections (1)(d) through (i), an applicant for 
licensure as master addiction counselor may document current certification in good 
standing as:
(a)
a master addiction counselor by the National Certification Commission for Addiction 
Professionals;
(b)
a master addiction counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors; or
(c)
an equivalent certification as under Subsections (2)(a) and (b), as determined in rule 
made by the division in collaboration with the board.
(3)
An applicant for licensure as an associate master addiction counselor shall satisfy the 
requirements under Subsections (1)(a) through (c) and (i).
(4)
Subject to Subsection (5), an applicant for licensure as an advanced substance use 
disorder counselor shall:
(a)
submit an application on a form provided by the division;
(b)
pay a fee determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
; and
(c)
(i)
produce certified transcripts verifying satisfactory completion of:
(A)
a bachelor's degree or higher, from a regionally accredited institution of 
higher learning, in substance use disorders, addiction, or related counseling 
subjects, including social work, mental health counseling, marriage and family 
counseling, or psychology; or
(B)
two academic years of study in a master's of addiction counseling curriculum 
and practicum approved by the National Addictions Studies Accreditation 
Commission;
(ii)
document completion of at least 500 hours of supervised experience while 
licensed as a substance use disorder counselor under this section, which the 
applicant may complete while completing the education requirements under 
Subsection 
(1)(c)(i)
; and
(iii)
satisfy examination requirements established by the division in rule.
(5)
The requirements of Subsection (4)(c) may be satisfied by providing official verification 
of current certification in good standing:
(a)
(i)
as a National Certified Addiction Counselor Level II (NCAC II) from the 
National Certification Commission for Addiction Professionals (NCC AP); or
(ii)
as an Advanced Alcohol 
 Drug Counselor (AADC), from the International 
Certification and Reciprocity Consortium; or
(b)
of substantive equivalence to the certifications under Subsection (5)(a), as 
determined by division rule made in consultation with the board.
(6)
In accordance with division rules, an applicant for licensure as a substance use disorder 
counselor shall produce:
(a)
certified transcripts from an accredited institution that:
(i)
meet division standards;
 and
(ii)
verify satisfactory completion of an associate's degree or equivalent as defined 
by the division in rule; and
(iii)
(ii)
verify the completion of prerequisite courses established by division rules;
and
(b)
documentation of the applicant's completion of a substance use disorder education 
program that includes:
(i)
completion of at least 200 hours of substance use disorder related education;
(ii)
included in the 200 hours described in Subsection (6)(b)(i), a minimum of two 
hours of training in suicide prevention via a course that the division designates as 
approved; and
(iii)
completion of a supervised practicum of at least 200 hours
; and
.
(c)
documentation of the applicant's completion of at least 2,000 hours of supervised 
experience in substance use disorder treatment that:
(i)
meets division standards; and
(ii)
is performed within a two-year period after the applicant's completion of the 
substance use disorder education program described in Subsection (6)(b), unless, 
as determined by the division after consultation with the board, the time for 
performance is extended due to an extenuating circumstance.
Section 6, Section 
58-76-302
 is amended to read:
58-76-302
. Qualifications for licensure.
Each applicant for licensure as a professional geologist shall:
(1)
submit an application in a form as 
prescribed
approved
 by the division;
(2)
pay a fee as determined by the department under Section 
63J-1-504
;
(3)
provide satisfactory evidence of:
(a)
a bachelors or graduate
at a minimum, a bachelor's
 degree in the geosciences 
granted through an institution of higher education that is accredited by a regional or 
national accrediting agency 
with a minimum of 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of 
course work in the geosciences; or
(b)
completion of other equivalent educational requirements as determined by the 
division in collaboration with the board;
(4)
provide satisfactory evidence of:
(a)
with a 
bachelors
bachelor's
 degree, a specific record of five years of active 
professional practice in geological work of a character satisfactory to the division, 
indicating the applicant is competent to be placed in a responsible charge of the work;
(b)
with a masters degree, a specific record of three years of active professional practice 
in geological work of a character satisfactory to the division, indicating the applicant 
is competent to be placed in a responsible charge of the work; or
(c)
with a doctorate degree, a specific record of one year of active professional practice 
in geological work of a character satisfactory to the division, indicating the applicant 
is competent to be placed in a responsible charge of the work; and
(5)
after January 1, 2004, meet
meet
 the examination requirement established by rule by 
the division in collaboration with the board.
Section 7. 
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on 
May 7, 2025
.
3-12-25 1:26 PM