Director - audit of practice acts - barriers to practice - criminal history records - report - denial of license, certification, registration

(1) On or before June 1, 2023, the director shall complete an audit of the practice acts in this title 12 and the regulation of various professions and occupations by regulators pursuant to this title 12 to determine whether a barrier to professional licensing, certification, or registration exists due to an applicant's criminal history record. On or before July 1, 2023, the director shall report the findings to the senate business, labor, and technology committee and the house of representatives business affairs and labor committee, or their successor committees. The report shall include: (a) The barriers that exist to licensing, certification, or registration due to a criminal history record; (b) Legislative recommendations regarding whether any barriers should be removed or changed pursuant to a bill of the general assembly; (c) Recommendations for solutions to any barriers, including a process to advise individuals as to whether an individual would qualify for licensure, certification, or registration based on the individual's criminal history record if the individual meets all other requirements for licensure, certification, or registration at the time of the individual's application; and (d) The number of licenses, certifications, or registrations that were denied in the prior calendar year due to a criminal history record and the specific reasons for each denial. (2) (a) A regulator may only deny a license, certification, or registration based on an applicant's criminal history record consistent with section 24-5-101 (4). (b) If the regulator denies a license, certification, or registration based on the applicant's criminal history record, the regulator shall document the grounds for denial and submit the grounds in writing to the applicant. (c) A regulator may grant, consistent with section 24-34-107 (5), a conditional license, certification, or registration to an applicant with a criminal history record. (3) The director shall compile de-identified aggregate information regarding the reasons why a license, certification, or registration was denied, if the reason was due to the applicant's criminal history record, and make this information available to the public on the division's website.