Body Art Regulation: Oregon Once Again on Leading Edge

Ever on the leading edge of body art regulation, Oregon regulators are now waiting for practitioners to catch up -- judging by the lack of candidates for what is probably the nation's first body piercing practical examination.

The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) instituted both a written and practical examination on January 1 as qualifiers for both new applicants entering the body piercing field and as a condition of renewal for existing body piercing licensees.

Even though OHLA is offering the examinations at no cost to existing body piercers whose licenses are up for renewal, only a handful have taken the agency up on the offer.

"We know change is difficult, but the body piercing community in Oregon has been asking for more stringent qualification standards for some time," says OHLA Director Randy Everitt. "So we're somewhat surprised at the lack of candidates so far." 
 
Click here to learn more about new qualification standards. 

OHLA Licenses Oregon's First Polysomnographic Technologist

While Oregon's polysomnographic technologists are not required to be licensed until January 1, 2013, already one has completed the qualifying steps necessary for licensure several months ahead of the required date.
 
Timothy Sipe, an employee of Mid-Columbia Medical Center of The Dalles, became the first polysomnographic technologist licensed in the state after he passed the Oregon Laws and Rules examination for the profession on March 16.
 
Polysomnographic technologists provide treatment, management, diagnostic testing, education and care of patients with disorders related to sleep. 

As a "grandfathering" candidate, Sipe was also required to provide OHLA documentation of the following:

• National credential as a registered polysomnographic technologist (RSPGT) through the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists (BRPT)
  
  
• Current registration as a RSPGT with the BRPT
  
  
• Work experience as a polysomnographic technologist of at least 18 months out of the last five years

IRS, DCBS, Revenue Speak to Cosmetology Board on Credit Card Issue

Representatives from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) and Department of Revenue presented the latest information on reporting requirements for cosmetology salon owners at the Board of Cosmetology meeting April 23.
 
The new reporting requirements touch on an ongoing issue of interest in the industry:  misclassification of employees as independent contractors.  New federal reporting requirements include a caveat that credit card processing companies must send a form 1099 to the IRS for each individual business outlining its gross credit card sales.
 
As a result, salon owners are advised to keep customer credit card transactions for work performed by salon employees separate from credit card transactions for work performed by independent contractors.
 
While OHLA doesn't have oversight over such matters, the agency often fields questions on these and similar issues and partners with its regulatory colleagues as a public service to keep licensees and other stakeholders up to date on requirements that may affect them.
 
Click here for more information on the April 23 Board of Cosmetology meeting.
 
Click here for more information on the federal reporting requirements and misclassification of employees as independent contractors.

OHLA Launches "Issue Reponses" to Clarify Regulatory Issues

Starting with the Board of Cosmetology and the Respiratory Therapist and Polysomnographic Technologist Licensing Board, OHLA has launched online "Issue Responses" that offer clarification of regulatory issues.
 
The agency has established a step-by-step process to efficiently and effectively repond to stakeholder questions, most related to scope of practice issues, e.g. what services or procedures practitioners can legally provide or perform under their license.
 
While OHLA thoroughly reviews these issue responses, each one contains a caveat that OHLA "...does not provide personal legal advice to licensees or members of the public.  The responses listed here are specific to only those questons asked.  Even slight changes in the scope or content of the question may change the applicability of these responses in a different situation."
 
OHLA plans to roll out similar pages for all boards under its oversight during 2012.

Watch OHLA Meetings Live and Online

OHLA offers online live access to all regularly scheduled full board and council meetings.  To view, just click on the link on a meeting page of the specific board or council.
 
The agency is offering this new feature to provide stakeholders who can’t make the trip to Salem an opportunity to learn more about licensing and regulatory developments.
 
Visit http://www.oregon.gov/OHLA/Global/Board_Meetings.shtml for more information.

OHLA At-a-Glance: 11 Boards, More than 36,000 Licensees

The Oregon Health Licensing Agency (OHLA) oversees licensing and regulation of multiple health and related professions represented by 11 volunteer citizen boards. The agency ensures qualification standards and ongoing professional requirements for more than 36,000 individual licensed practitioners, nearly 5,000 licensed facilities and nearly 8,000 independent contractors.
 
OHLA's mission is to protect the health and safety of Oregon consumers served by OHLA-regulated professions.
 
Click here for an overview of OHLA.
 
Click here for an overview of OHLA regulated professions.
 
Click here for current licensing totals for OHLA regulated professions.

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