House Bill 1874 would revise the process for an individual with a criminal conviction to request a determination of whether their criminal history is disqualifying for obtaining a professional license
Two bills sponsored by Rep. Brandon Vick have passed out of committee, including one that would help people convicted of a crime get back into the workforce after paying their debt to society.
House Bill 1874 would revise the process for an individual with a criminal conviction to request a determination of whether their criminal history is disqualifying for obtaining a professional license administered by the Department of Licensing (DOL).
The legislation builds on House Bill 1399, which the governor signed into law last year. That legislation asked the DOL to inform individuals with criminal convictions if they were going to be ineligible for a license before they paid the fees to apply.
“This bill really asks for a little more nuance,” said Vick, R-Vancouver. “It asks the department to consider the seriousness of the offense among other things. So, I think this is another good step in helping folks get into the workforce and staying out of prison. Anything we can do to stop that revolving door is a positive move forward.”
House Bill 1874 passed unanimously out of the House Consumer Protection and Business Committee Thursday.
Another bill from Vick, House Bill 1648, which would replace an inactive certificate status with an inactive license designation, was also unanimously voted out of the Consumer Protection and Business Committee last week.
The bill would discontinue certificate holder status for certified public accountants, beginning on July 1, 2024, and replace it with the designation of “licensee in inactive status.”
“These changes clean up the existing laws and provide clarity to the public around the certified public accountant designation,” said Vick.
The inactive status makes Washington’s licensing status more consistent with other states and increases mobility for CPAs, which is good for military families and those moving between other states.
“This is going to make life a little better for people who make their living as CPAs, both in and out of the state, to have reciprocity,” added Vick.
The 2022 legislative session began Jan. 10 and is scheduled to last 60 days.
Information provided by Washington State House Republicans, houserepublicans.wa.gov
