[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6381884,"mediaKeyId","2127812-08cf2f66fdf57d6878b64a236fb67c8f","parentId",2127812,"title","Committee reviews sunset audits, votes to continue most boards and to consolidate the Massage Therapy Board","audioSeconds",13674,"startMs",7200000,"endMs",20874000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127812-08cf2f66fdf57d6878b64a236fb67c8f&start=7200&end=20874","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127812-08cf2f66fdf57d6878b64a236fb67c8f/thumbnail_7200000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6381884/Arizona/Committee-reviews-sunset-audits-votes-to-continue-most-boards-and-to-consolidate-the-Massage-Therapy-Board","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381884-59f70db54199ba7b2f351821d43859f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749877&Signature=IwBqJLeyp87IyKwDiJApOSrnlUsJC3yb1Grq0M7xzUX-f8lWYz65PQivYXDidWDqq0JK3IRYKhtwB8PK~vRfDtF-on8A3fyOiYw-oR1RA-vkjgjAcofoH5zPydfT13sj70~~AQMwu61gzVO6hltGpj42Jhc-Na9XROewy836PJB-uTfOcwkfx1JTxRRL4hPJu57C54VhbNJZv8xfOeLscqg6YgKu6ybWrZCm~itYRCA4LTAhxivP5m2DDQmPCoQVgGepf1Y8DoyopB1np2LSbEAdwaHuUuOBGsWKgpIj~0Wc6Zm7x1~L2int83rtKPkihZ0pYrCZli8DP8GYWjB~oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Arizona State Legislature","date","2025-01-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Joint House and Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Jan. 24, 2025, heard performance audits and 24‑month follow‑ups from the Auditor General’s office for five health‑related licensing boards and then cast committee recommendations to the Legislature.

The committee voted to recommend continued authorization for four boards — the State Board of Dental Examiners, the Board of Respiratory Care Examiners, the Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery and the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners — each for six years. It voted to recommend consolidation of the State Board of Massage Therapy, directing staff to pursue statutory changes to restructure oversight.

Auditor General staff and contractors summarized the findings and follow‑up work for each board. Common themes across the reviews included: inconsistent recordkeeping, multi‑year complaint backlogs in some boards, trouble producing routine management reports because of database conversions, and gaps in conflict‑of‑interest and open‑meeting practices in specific instances.

Key takeaways from each presentation and the committee’s actions:

- Dental Examiners (continuation): Auditor Patrick Jenette reviewed prior 2022 findings and a recent 24‑month follow‑up. The dental board has implemented several recommendations — including clearer adjudication guidance and improved licensing controls — and is working on database and complaint‑timeliness improvements. The committee voted to recommend continuation for six years. (Committee recommendation: continue the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners through July 2031; committee tally reported by the clerk: 16 ayes, 0 nays, 3 not voting.)

- Massage Therapy Board (consolidation): Auditor Kyle Neff presented a 2022 performance audit and a 24‑month follow‑up showing the board struggled to investigate complaints within statutory time frames, answer public records requests consistently, and fully implement an e‑licensing system; the board reported ongoing database vendor challenges and a high number of licenses to manage. Executive Director Tom Otterton described the database migration issues, the board’s limited staffing, and program complexity, and urged care in how any consolidation would be structured. After discussion the committee voted to recommend consolidation (motion language: “make a recommendation to consolidate the State Board of Massage Therapy and that statutory changes be made to improve the board's ability to efficiently and accurately perform their duties as prescribed by law”). Committee tally: 8 ayes, 6 nays, 0 present; 5 not voting. The record shows committee members cited concerns about transparency and timeliness while others urged a structural change to improve operations and oversight.

- Respiratory Care Examiners (continuation): Auditor George Styles summarized findings including delayed issuance of some initial licenses beyond the board’s 105‑day target and inconsistent complaint timeliness tied to database and staffing turnover. Interim Executive Director Jack Confer told the committee the board has reduced average licensing time and implemented short‑term fixes; the committee voted to recommend continuation for six years (tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent).

- Osteopathic Examiners (continuation): Walker & Armstrong’s report concluded that while the board processes many licensures timely and supports an expanding physician population, it also carried a persistent complaint backlog; the board said it has adopted a disciplinary guideline and is hiring additional staff as needed. The committee voted to recommend continuation for six years (tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent).

- Behavioral Health Examiners (continuation): Walker & Armstrong’s review flagged complaint‑timeliness issues after a surge in licenses and complaints during and after the COVID‑era expansion of telehealth; the board told the committee it had requested and received additional investigators and expects timeliness to improve as new investigators onboard. The committee recommended continuation for six years (tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent).

Committee members across both parties pressed boards on common operational problems: delays caused by legacy databases and incomplete data migration; the inability of some boards to run timely management reports; inconsistency in posting and removing disciplinary information from public websites; and how some boards handle subpoenas, referrals to law enforcement and open‑meeting law compliance. Several legislators asked for future comparative data to allow ranking of boards by complaint timeliness and for follow‑up reporting across the boards when the Auditor General completes six‑ and 36‑month follow‑ups.

The committee’s actions are recommendations to the Legislature and are not final legislation. Several board staff asked the committee for more time and assistance to complete database migrations and to clarify statutory authority on issues such as continuing‑education audits and temporary licensure during transitions.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendations):
- Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners — action: continue six years (committee recommendation), tally: 16 ayes, 0 nays, 3 not voting; notes: OAG follow‑up found partial implementation of prior recommendations and work on database/reporting.
- State Board of Massage Therapy — action: consolidate (committee recommendation), tally: 8 ayes, 6 nays, 0 present; 5 not voting; notes: OAG cited long complaint timeliness for some cases and incomplete e‑licensing implementation; the board described vendor delays and staffing constraints.
- Arizona Board of Respiratory Care Examiners — action: continue six years, tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent; notes: OAG found licensing and complaint‑timeliness gaps tied to database conversion and turnover; board reported improvement after new hires.
- Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine & Surgery — action: continue six years, tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent; notes: OAG found lengthy complaint backlogs in a minority of high‑priority cases; board said it has tightened adjudication policies and will pursue further staffing adjustments.
- Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners — action: continue six years, tally: 11 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present; 8 absent; notes: OAG found complaint timeliness issues after large caseload growth; board received appropriation for investigators and plans operational changes.

What happens next: committee recommendations will be compiled in a formal sunset report and transmitted to the Legislature for consideration; the Auditor General will perform follow‑up checks (six‑ and 36‑month where scheduled) and report implementation status for outstanding recommendations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","01/17/2025 -Senate and House Health & Human Services Joint Committee of Reference","oneSentenceSummary","On Jan. 24 the Joint House and Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard performance audits for five state health licensing boards and recommended continued authorization for four — dental, respiratory care, osteopathic and behavioral health — while voting to consolidate the State Board of Massage Therapy.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Arizona, Arizona","taxId",78572,"location","Arizona","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6381890,"Auditor General finds broad procedural failures at Arizona Board of Chiropractic Examiners; board agrees to most recommendations",1714,462000,2176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127812-08cf2f66fdf57d6878b64a236fb67c8f&start=462&end=2176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127812-08cf2f66fdf57d6878b64a236fb67c8f/thumbnail_462000.jpg","/articles/6381890/Arizona/Auditor-General-finds-broad-procedural-failures-at-Arizona-Board-of-Chiropractic-Examiners-board-agrees-to-most-recommendations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6381890-c5511df5f520e686bec23eb6c907a51c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770749877&Signature=FGWeJYtttaWLM-~IKTf8dMBf-xdDT~XJSLMJUlGFEV0Gho6ryVKtSjldQl2WQqKJFhJg-0bSBwa-PyAmKmCjUt2eGLyeuyPc5PfuGSGPQ3USphru9bqiwMciftMNPRLn~a0IBeHvEhUkkqL2~8eVQ0XU4DKDyTeEJli3h2LqsnkNiKAyTVKBtOOYm6~Cvl~OCOyQ6SxSIlq4GC47Xbvgz30oOcDQjhjgiMSoVoXM5pMNuVCRLDSA0g7RYyl26b5KNoxchP2dKITdi1u-xWMBGtHY4Ve1FD7~AwkcakPYXi5RuLtzFEA-4UtVo58YTBvGyKzUvgdT~YhoN2sXKFQsrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Arizona Auditor General presented findings from a special audit to the Joint House and Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Jan. 24, 2025, saying the Arizona State Board of Chiropractic Examiners frequently requested records and subpoenas beyond the scope of complaints, handled criminal allegations inconsistently and sustained a years-long complaint backlog.

The audit, done for the Auditor General’s office by consulting firm Sjoberg Evishenk, reviewed a sample of 70 complaints from 2021 through March 2024 and found multiple systemic problems, the most consequential of which the audit linked to slower investigations and potential patient-safety risks.

Auditor George Skiles said the board “regularly requested information beyond the scope of the complaint allegations, which is contrary to its statutory authority,” citing frequent demands for continuing education and full patient records even when they were unrelated to the complaint. Skiles warned that such overbroad requests can lengthen investigations, expose licensees to unwarranted allegations and increase risk to patient privacy.

The audit also found inconsistent use of psychosexual evaluations and a failure to report allegations of criminal wrongdoing to law enforcement. \"Of the 10 complaints we reviewed involving criminal allegations that had not otherwise been reported to a criminal justice agency, the board reported only 1 of the 10 allegations to a law enforcement agency,\" Skiles said.

Alyssa Vanderveen, the board’s executive director, told the committee the board has accepted all but one of the audit’s 28 recommendations and is already implementing many changes. “The board has accepted all but 1 of the recommendations from the auditor general and has already begun to implement these recommendations,” Vanderveen said. She described efforts to narrow subpoena requests, to change renewal processes so continuing‑education records are collected at renewal, and to add investigative staff.

Vanderveen also said the board has increased enforcement and staff training and has already modified its procedures for redacting public recordings to protect privacy. She told legislators the board had been through high turnover and multiple executive directors and that the current leadership has prioritized clearing a complaint backlog and improving internal controls. Vanderveen emphasized cooperation with the State Attorney General’s Office for open‑meeting and other legal questions and said the board would comply with the Auditor General’s follow‑up review.

Committee members pressed both the Auditor General’s office and the board on several points. Representative Beverly Pingarelli and other members asked about the board’s practice of editing posted meeting recordings; Jeff Govan of the Auditor General’s office said the audit recommended the board work with the Attorney General’s Open Meeting Law enforcement task force. Representative Sarah Liguori and others pressed the board and auditors on the 180‑day benchmark for complaint resolution and whether investigators or licensees sometimes delay cases. The Auditor General’s office said 180 days is a widely used best practice; the board said complex cases and judicial stays can extend timelines, and noted steps it has taken to hire additional investigators and to prioritize higher‑severity complaints.

The Auditor General recommended 28 changes, including: stop subpoenaing information unrelated to the allegations; update policies to ensure subpoenas and information requests are narrowly tailored; establish specific policies for psychosexual evaluations; report criminal allegations promptly to law enforcement; reduce complaint time‑to‑resolution to within 180 days with a focus on higher‑severity cases; cease using public resources to encourage licensees to oppose or support legislation; comply with open meeting law requirements including posting unaltered recordings; and revise conflict‑of‑interest procedures.

The board agreed with most recommendations and told the committee it will implement 27 of 28 recommendations as written; Vanderveen said the board will adopt a different approach than a blanket 48‑hour requirement for reporting criminal allegations, preferring case‑by‑case referrals to law enforcement in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office. The audit team said they would follow up and report the board’s progress to the committee later in 2025.

The Auditor General told the committee the special audit had been contracted out because the office lacked capacity to complete the engagement in its regular schedule; staff estimated that contract work cost roughly $195,000. The board acknowledged past problems and outlined immediate procedural fixes and longer‑term changes, including improved renewal procedures so continuing education documentation will be collected at renewal rather than during investigations.

The audit presentation and board responses were followed by public comment from attorney Tom Marlow, who represented a chiropractic practitioner and argued some investigations had been needlessly prolonged; Marlow urged the committee to press the board on timely case closure and transparency. The committee did not take a formal legislative action at the hearing on the audit itself but directed the Auditor General to return with a follow‑up assessment later in the year.

The audit and board testimony provide a detailed roadmap of recommended reforms and a timeline for follow up. The Auditor General said it will report again to the committee on the board’s implementation later in 2025; the board says it has begun or completed several of the recommended changes and is working with the Attorney General’s Office on legal questions about reporting and open‑meeting compliance.","The Arizona Auditor General presented a special audit to the Joint House and Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Jan. 24 that found the Arizona State Board of Chiropractic Examiners repeatedly issued overbroad subpoenas, failed to consistently report criminal allegations to law enforcement and carried a substantial complaint backlog; the board told lawmakers it has accepted most recommendations and is moving to implement changes.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee reviews sunset audits, votes to continue most boards and to consolidate the Massage Therapy Board

Auditor General finds broad procedural failures at Arizona Board of Chiropractic Examiners; board agrees to most recommendations