Bill > HB214

This bill clarifies and expands the rulemaking authority for recreational therapists and respiratory care practitioners under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). It introduces new provisions for criminal history record checks for both professions, requiring applicants to submit fingerprints and undergo background checks through state police and the FBI. The bill establishes detailed guidelines for these checks, including the ability to conditionally employ applicants pending results and specifying who can review the confidential criminal records. Additionally, the bill creates privileged communication protections for both recreational therapists and respiratory care practitioners, similar to physician-patient confidentiality, while allowing exceptions for professional investigations. The legislation also delays the effective dates of various procedural changes related to criminal history record checks, with some sections taking effect on June 30, 2025, and others on July 1, 2026. Notably, the bill requires licensees to complete a survey about the New Hampshire primary care workforce during license renewal, with an option to opt-out, and has a minimal fiscal impact of less than $10,000 annually.

Government Affairs

https://gc.nh.gov/bill_status/legacy/bs2016/bill_status.aspx?lsr=0107&sy=2025&sortoption=&txtsessionyear=2025&txtbillnumber=HB214