Sec. 4. (a) The licensing agency shall employ necessary staff, including specialists and professionals, to carry out the administrative duties and functions of the boards, including but not limited to:

(1) notice of board meetings and other communication services;

(2) record keeping of board meetings, proceedings, and actions;

(3) record keeping of all persons or individuals licensed, regulated, or certified by a board;

(4) administration of examinations; and

(5) administration of license or certificate issuance or renewal.

(b) In addition, the licensing agency:

(1) shall prepare a consolidated statement of the budget requests of all the boards described in IC 25-0.5-7;

(2) may coordinate licensing or certification renewal cycles, examination schedules, or other routine activities to efficiently utilize licensing agency staff, facilities, and transportation resources, and to improve accessibility of board functions to the public; and

(3) may consolidate, where feasible, office space, record keeping, and data processing services.

(c) In administering the renewal of licenses or certificates under this chapter, the licensing agency shall issue a ninety (90) day notice of expiration to all holders of a license or certificate. The notice must inform the holder of a license or certificate of the requirements to:

(1) renew the license or certificate; and

(2) pay the renewal fee.

(d) If the licensing agency fails to send notice of expiration under subsection (c), the holder of the license or certificate is not subject to a sanction for failure to renew if the holder renews the license or certificate not more than forty-five (45) days after the holder receives the notice from the licensing agency.

(e) The licensing agency may require an applicant for a license or certificate renewal to submit evidence showing that the applicant:

(1) meets the minimum requirements for licensure or certification; and

(2) is not in violation of:

(A) the law regulating the applicant's profession; or

(B) rules adopted by the board regulating the applicant's profession.

(f) The licensing agency may delay renewing a license or certificate for not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the renewal date to permit the board to investigate information received by the licensing agency that the applicant for renewal may have committed an act for which the applicant may be disciplined. If the licensing agency delays renewing a license or certificate, the licensing agency shall notify the applicant that the applicant is being investigated. Except as provided in subsection (g), the board shall do one (1) of the following before the expiration of the one hundred twenty (120) day period:

(1) Deny renewal of the license or certificate following a personal appearance by the applicant before the board.

(2) Renew the license or certificate upon satisfaction of all other requirements for renewal.

(3) Renew the license and file a complaint under IC 25-1-7.

(4) Upon agreement of the applicant and the board and following a personal appearance by the applicant before the board, renew the license or certificate and place the applicant on probation status under IC 25-1-11-12.

(g) If an applicant fails to appear before the board under subsection (f), the board may take action as provided in subsection (f)(1), (f)(2), or (f)(3).

(h) The applicant's license or certificate remains valid until the final determination of the board is rendered unless the renewal is:

(1) denied; or

(2) summarily suspended under IC 25-1-11-13.

(i) The license or certificate of the applicant for license renewal remains valid during the one hundred twenty (120) day period unless the license or certificate is denied following a personal appearance by the applicant before the board before the end of the one hundred twenty (120) day period. If the one hundred twenty (120) day period expires without action by the board, the license or certificate shall be automatically renewed at the end of the one hundred twenty (120) day period.

(j) The board's renewal of a license does not preclude the board from imposing sanctions on the licensee as a result of a complaint filed by the attorney general after renewal of the license.

(k) Notwithstanding any other law, the licensing agency may stagger license or certificate renewal cycles.

(l) An application for a license or certificate is abandoned without an action by the board if the applicant does not complete the requirements for obtaining the license or certificate not more than one (1) year after the date on which the application was filed. However, the board may, for good cause shown, extend the validity of the application for additional thirty (30) day periods. An application submitted after the abandonment of an application is considered a new application.

As added by Acts 1981, P.L.222, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.132-1984, SEC.5; P.L.194-2005, SEC.3; P.L.3-2014, SEC.17; P.L.177-2015, SEC.9; P.L.78-2017, SEC.5.