Generally, here in Pennsylvania, professional licensing matters fall under the control of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs and its various licensing boards and commissions. The bureau has 29 different professional licensing boards and commissions.
One license-related action such boards/commissions sometimes take is to suspend or revoke a professional’s license. Professionals, such as medical professionals, can face a potential license suspension/revocation in connection to many different types of professional misconduct and other misconduct. Recently, a law was passed which will make failure by a professional to pay costs or fines that they were assessed in a disciplinary process something that all of the bureau’s licensing boards/commissions have the authority to issue a license suspension or revocation in relation to.
Previously, specific authority to suspend/revoke a professional license in connection to a failure to pay fines/costs was something that only nine of the bureau’s licensing boards/commissions held. A bill which proposed expanding this authority to all licensing boards/commissions was signed into law earlier this month and will come into effect in April. The aim of the law is to help boards/commissions be able to successfully collect disciplinary-process-related fines/costs.
What are your thoughts on this new law? Do you think that all licensing boards/commissions should be able to suspend/revoke a professional’s license due to failure to pay fines/costs?
Medical professionals who are facing a potential license suspension/revocation for any reason should consider speaking to a license defense attorney. Such attorneys can help medical professionals in such situations understand what their options are and can fight for a medical professional’s rights and interests in licensing-related hearings.
Source: South Pittsburgh Reporter, “Readshaw bill on licensing boards was signed into law,” Feb. 11, 2014