- Four professions may no longer require state licensing in Utah.
- The bill addresses interior designers, court reporters, deception detection practitioners and music therapists.
- Committee members request a change be made to the bill to start a study instead of immediately removing licensing requirements.
A bill that would remove the licensing requirements from four professions in Utah advanced through a Senate committee on Monday.
SB327, sponsored by Sen. John Johnson, R-North Ogden, would make it so commercial interior designers, court reporters, deception detection practitioners and music therapists would no longer need to be licensed through the state. Deception detection practitioners administer polygraph tests.
“Utah has led the nation in right-sizing occupational licensing,” Johnson said.
He explained that the state typically follows the principle that “licensing should be reserved for professions where there is a clear demonstrable risk to public health or safety that cannot be addressed through less restrictive means.”
According to Johnson, that threshold is not met in these four professions.
Committee discussion around the bill to remove these licenses
The senator presented SB327 to the Senate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee on Monday.
He emphasized that the bill would not prevent anyone from voluntarily obtaining private certification. It also doesn’t prevent employers from requiring licensing or certification.
“Licensing is the most restrictive form of regulation; before we require it, we should be confident it is necessary,” Johnson said.
The senator said he worked with the Libertas Institute in deciding which professions should be included in the bill. He added that the only negative feedback he has received is from some court reporters.
Jon England, the education policy analyst at Libertas, said that multiple states do not require licenses for these occupations.
“Libertas has constantly had the stance of reducing regulations on licensing, so we felt we could push the ball forward a little faster,” he added.
There were concerns from the committee that this bill could have impacts on the market. A few committee members requested that a change be made to the bill to direct a study and bring back recommendations next year, instead of immediately getting rid of the licensing.
Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden, said she would like to see the Department of Commerce “run their process on it.”
The Department of Commerce has a process of reviewing and analyzing each of the states’ licenses every few years.
Johnson said he would look into making that change. The bill advanced through the committee with a vote of 3 to 1.
A look at the professions that are impacted
The senator spoke briefly about each of the impacted professions.
He said that commercial interior designers are already governed by building codes and licensed architects and engineers.
Court reporters have judicial rules and professional standards that they must uphold.
“It preserves judicial authority over court transcription standards and contract prohibitions that protect impartiality,” Johnson said.
Deception detection has constraints from evidentiary rules and fraud laws.
Johnson said that music therapy can use voluntary certification employer standards without needing a state barrier to entry.
The senator said this is a carefully done statutory cleanup, not just random deregulation.
“Every licensing regime imposes costs: application fees, continuing education, background checks,” he said. “These costs may be justified in high-risk fields like medicine, but when applied where public safety risk is minimal, licensing becomes a barrier to entry.”