This bill proposes amendments to the Code of West Virginia regarding the regulation of occupations and professions, specifically focusing on the review process conducted by the Performance Evaluation and Research Division of the Office of the Legislative Auditor. Key changes include the removal of the requirement for an application analysis concerning the scope of practice for both unregulated professions and existing occupational licenses. Additionally, the bill eliminates the stipulation that the scope of practice must be interpreted narrowly when determining whether a profession should be regulated. The application process for regulating unregulated professions will now only require a statement of support from residents, rather than including scope of practice considerations.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the evaluation criteria used by the Performance Evaluation and Research Division, emphasizing the need for the least restrictive regulation necessary to protect consumers from significant harm. It also clarifies that the division's analysis will include a rebuttable presumption that market competition sufficiently protects consumers, and it may recommend various regulatory options based on the nature of consumer harm identified. The bill aims to streamline the regulatory process while ensuring consumer protection and promoting economic opportunities within the state.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 30-1A-2, 30-1A-3, 30-1A-5, 30-1A-6