Healthcare Providers Scope of Practice Amendments, the official text

Healthcare Providers Scope of Practice Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Evan J. Vickers
House Sponsor: James A. Dunnigan

LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions relating to the Office of Professional Licensure Review.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill: defines terms;
requires that the Office of Professional Licensure Review (office) conduct a scope of practice review (review);
provides how a requestor may request a review;
requires that the office make a determination as to whether the office will conduct a review;
requires that, when conducting a review, the office convene a group to consult on the review;
provides which individuals the office shall include in a group to consult on the review;
requires that the office determine whether to provide a recommendation that a regulated healthcare occupation incorporate an innovation into the regulated healthcare occupation's practice;
requires that the office create a report that details the office's recommendation following a review;
requires that the office provide the report to the Business and Labor Interim Committee;
requires that the office create a final report after incorporating any changes from the Business and Labor Interim Committee;
provides the criteria the office shall consider when conducting a review; and
makes technical changes.

Money Appropriated in this Bill: None Other Special Clauses: None Utah Code Sections Affected: AMENDS:
13-1b-203 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/34, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 483
13-1b-304 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/34, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 483

ENACTS:
13-1b-401 Effective 05/06/26, Utah Code Annotated 1953
13-1b-402 Effective 05/06/26, Utah Code Annotated 1953
13-1b-403 Effective 05/06/26, Utah Code Annotated 1953

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 13-1b-203 is amended to read:
13-1b-203 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/34. Duties.
The office shall: (1) for each application submitted in accordance with Section 13-1b-301, conduct a sunrise review in accordance with Section 13-1b-302 before November 1: (a) of the year in which the application is submitted, if the application is submitted on or before July 1; or
(b) of the subsequent year, if the application is submitted after July 1;

(2) in accordance with Section 13-1b-303, conduct a review of each regulated occupation at least once every 10 years;
(3) review and respond to [any] a legislator inquiry regarding a proposed or existing regulated occupation;
(4) publish on the office's website a submission form where an individual may provide feedback regarding an existing occupational regulation within the office's jurisdiction that the individual requests the office repeal or modify;
(5) engage in a systematic review of the rules that relate to occupational regulations within the office's jurisdiction in accordance with Section 13-1b-302;[and]
(6) report to the Business and Labor Interim Committee in accordance with Section 13-1b-304 [.]; and
(7) conduct a scope of practice review in accordance with Part 4, Scope of Practice Review.

Section 2. Section 13-1b-304 is amended to read:
13-1b-304 Effective 05/06/26 Repealed 07/01/34. Reporting.
(1) On or before October 1, the office shall annually prepare and submit a written report to the Business and Labor Interim Committee that describes the office's work during the prior year.
(2) In a written report described in Subsection (1), the office shall include: (a) a summary of each periodic review, each sunrise review, each rule review, and each response to a legislator inquiry;
(b) each recommendation the office made to another state executive branch agency regarding a regulated occupation;[and]
(c) a summary of information received during the previous year by the office under Subsection 13-1b-203(4) including: (i) the total number of submissions the office receives;
(ii) each rule for which an individual filed a submission[.];

(d) each request for a scope of practice review that the office receives in accordance with Section 13-1b-403; and
(e) each scope of practice review the office completes in accordance with Section 13-1b-403.

Section 3. Section 13-1b-401 is enacted to read:
4. Scope of Practice Review 13-1b-401 Effective 05/06/26. Definitions.
As used in this part: (1) "Healthcare practitioner" means an individual licensed in a regulated healthcare occupation.
(2) (a) "Innovation" means an upgrade in technology that the office determines has the potential to augment the ability of a healthcare practitioner to provide a patient: (i) better access to healthcare;
(ii) better health outcomes; or
(iii) lower healthcare costs.

(b) "Innovation" does not include an upgrade in technology that solely functions to provide advice or treatment to a patient without an interaction between a healthcare practitioner and patient.

(3) "Regulated healthcare occupation" means a regulated occupation where licensees of the regulated occupation are primarily engaged in healthcare.
(4) "Requestor" means: (a) a legislator; or
(b) a representative of: (i) an entity that employs healthcare practitioners;
(ii) an institution of higher education that provides training to prospective and current healthcare practitioners; or
(iii) a professional group of healthcare practitioners.

(5) "Scope of practice review" means a review that the office conducts to determine whether to recommend that a regulated healthcare occupation should incorporate an innovation into the regulated healthcare occupation's practice in a way that would expand the scope of the regulated healthcare occupation's license.
(6) "Upgrade in technology" means an addition or change to: (a) a medical apparatus;
(b) a medical appliance;
(c) artificial intelligence;
(d) a medical device;
(e) medical equipment;
(f) a medical implant;
(g) a medical implement;
(h) a medical tool; or
(i) any other technology the office determines has the potential for a healthcare practitioner to use in the healthcare practitioner's practice.

Section 4. Section 13-1b-402 is enacted to read:
13-1b-402 Effective 05/06/26. Scope of practice review -- Process.
(1) A requestor may request a scope of practice review by submitting a request for scope of practice review in a form the office approves.
(2) (a) Upon receipt of a request for scope of practice review, the office shall: (i) make a determination as to whether the office will conduct a scope of practice review; and
(ii) notify the chairs of the Business and Labor Interim Committee of the request for scope of practice review.

(b) After making a determination described in Subsection (2)(a)(i), the office shall: (i) if the office declines to conduct a scope of practice review, provide the requestor with a reason for the denial; or
(ii) if the office intends to conduct a scope of practice review: (A) inform the requestor that the office will conduct a scope of practice review; and
(B) conduct a scope of practice review in accordance with Subsection (3).

(3) (a) When conducting a scope of practice review, the office shall convene a group of individuals to advise on the impact of the expansion of the scope of review.
(b) When selecting the individuals for the group described in Subsection (3)(a), the office: (i) in consultation with the applicable board appointed in accordance with Section 58-1-201, shall select at least: (A) one individual that the applicable board approves from the regulated occupation that the proposed expansion of scope will affect; and
(B) one other individual from the regulated occupation that the proposed expansion of scope will affect; and

(ii) may select one or more of the following individuals: (A) a representative of an entity that employs healthcare practitioners;
(B) a representative of an institution of higher education that provides training to prospective and current healthcare practitioners; and
(C) an individual with technical expertise relevant to the scope of practice review.

(c) In consultation with the group described in Subsection (3)(a), the office shall: (i) consider the criteria described in Section 13-1b-403; and
(ii) determine whether to provide a recommendation that a regulated healthcare occupation incorporate an innovation into the regulated healthcare occupation's practice.

(4) If the office determines that a regulated healthcare occupation should incorporate an innovation into the regulated healthcare occupation's practice, the office shall create a preliminary report to present to the Business and Labor Interim Committee that: (a) recommends how the regulated healthcare occupation may incorporate the innovation into the regulated healthcare occupation's scope of practice; and
(b) describes how incorporating the innovation expands the regulated healthcare occupation's scope of practice.

(5) The office shall provide the preliminary report described in Subsection (4) to the Business and Labor Interim Committee in accordance with Section 13-1b-304.
(6) Upon receiving the preliminary report under Subsection (5), the Business and Labor Interim Committee may: (a) recommend draft legislation to address the preliminary report described in Subsection (4);
(b) recommend that the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing make rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act; or
(c) take any other action that the Business and Labor Interim Committee deems appropriate.

(7) After presenting the preliminary report, the office shall create and publish a final report based on the preliminary report and any recommendations provided by the Business and Labor Interim Committee.

Section 5. Section 13-1b-403 is enacted to read:
13-1b-403 Effective 05/06/26. Scope of practice review -- Criteria.
When conducting a scope of practice review in accordance with Subsection 13-1b-203(7) and Section 13-1b-402, the office shall consider the following criteria: (1) the strength of evidence, data, or information indicating the innovation will provide: (a) safer or more effective healthcare;
(b) more accessible healthcare; or
(c) more affordable healthcare;

(2) the potential of the innovation to improve the following: (a) the safety or efficacy of healthcare;
(b) healthcare accessibility; or
(c) healthcare affordability;

(3) the probability, severity, and permanence of any risk an innovation poses to a patient;
(4) the level of interest from employers, healthcare practitioners, and educators to test or adopt the innovation;
(5) the availability of adequate training or education for healthcare practitioners to learn about the innovation;
(6) the degree to which other jurisdictions adopt or use the innovation; and
(7) any other criteria that the office adopts by rule that the office makes in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act.

Section 6. Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on May 6, 2026.

3-11-26 5:05 PM