HB796
Regulatory boards; adjustment of fees, recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs, report.
Status:
Passed
Latest Action:
March 14, 2026
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
Chief Patron:
Cliff Hayes (D)
Session:
2026 Regular Session
Summary
As Passed House of Origin. Professions and occupations; adjustment of fees by regulatory boards; recovery of disciplinary and monitoring costs.
Repeals the provision of law that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) shows revenue to be a certain percentage greater than expenses, such regulatory board to distribute excess revenue to current regulants and ... (More) reduce its licensure or certification fees so that fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill also repeals the provision with respect to the Department of Health Professions (DHP) that requires, following the close of any biennium, when the account for any regulatory board shows expenses allocated to it for the past biennium to be a certain percentage greater than moneys collected by the board, the board to revise its fees so that such fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill makes it permissive for the regulatory boards within DPOR and DHP to annually revise the fees levied by it for certification, licensure, registration, or permit and renewal so that the fees are sufficient but not excessive to cover expenses. The bill specifies that each regulatory board must report such revisions to DPOR or DHP and requires each agency to report such revisions to the Chairs of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations by November 1, 2026, and annually thereafter. Regulatory boards are also permitted to recover reasonable administrative costs associated with investigation, disciplinary proceedings, monitoring, and confirming compliance with any terms and conditions imposed from any person who is (i) licensed, registered, certified, or issued a multistate or compact licensure privilege by any regulatory or health regulatory board and (ii) issued a finding of a violation of law or regulation from such regulatory or health regulatory board. Such administrative costs shall not exceed $500 for regulatory boards within DPOR and $1,500 for health regulatory boards within DHP. (Less)-
Bill History
- 01/13/2026 - House: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101807D
- 01/13/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on General Laws
- 01/26/2026 - House: Assigned HGL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process
- 01/28/2026 - House: Placed on General Laws Agenda
- 01/29/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 01/29/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)
- 02/02/2026 - House: Placed on General Laws Agenda
- 02/03/2026 - House: Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N)
- 02/03/2026 - House: Referred to Committee on Appropriations
- 02/04/2026 - House: Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
- 02/05/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB796)
- 02/10/2026 - House: Placed on Appropriations Agenda
- 02/11/2026 - House: House subcommittee offered
- 02/11/2026 - House: Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (7-Y 0-N)
- 02/11/2026 - House: Reported from Appropriations with substitute (20-Y 2-N)
- 02/11/2026 - House: Committee substitute printed 26107685D-H1
- 02/13/2026 - House: Read first time
- 02/16/2026 - House: Read second time
- 02/16/2026 - House: committee amendments rejected
- 02/16/2026 - House: committee substitute agreed to
- 02/16/2026 - House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute
- 02/17/2026 - House: Read third time and passed House (68-Y 28-N 0-A)
- 02/18/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB796)
- 02/18/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)
- 02/18/2026 - Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
- 02/25/2026 - Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
- 02/25/2026 - Senate: Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Rules suspended
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 03/03/2026 - Senate: Passed by for the day (Voice Vote)
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Committee substitute printed 26109027D-S1
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Read third time
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute
- 03/04/2026 - Senate: Passed Senate with substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- 03/04/2026 - House: Senate substitute agreed to by House (69-Y 26-N 0-A)
- 03/09/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB796)
- 03/11/2026 - House: Enrolled
- 03/11/2026 - House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB796ER)
- 03/11/2026 - House: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB796)
- 03/11/2026 - Senate: Signed by President
- 03/12/2026 - House: Signed by Speaker
- 03/14/2026 - House: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
- 03/14/2026 - Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
