440.035 General duties and powers of examining boards and affiliated credentialing boards.

(1m) Each examining board or affiliated credentialing board attached to the department or an examining board shall:

(a) Independently exercise its powers, duties and functions prescribed by law with regard to rule-making, credentialing and regulation.

(b) Be the supervising authority of all personnel, other than shared personnel, engaged in the review, investigation or handling of information regarding qualifications of applicants for credentials, examination questions and answers, accreditation, related investigations and disciplinary matters affecting persons who are credentialed by the examining board or affiliated credentialing board, or in the establishing of regulatory policy or the exercise of administrative discretion with regard to the qualifications or discipline of applicants or persons who are credentialed by the examining board, affiliated credentialing board or accreditation.

(c) Maintain, in conjunction with their operations, in central locations designated by the department, all records pertaining to the functions independently retained by them.

(d) Compile and keep current a register of the names and addresses of all persons who are credentialed to be retained by the department and which shall be available for public inspection during the times specified in s. 230.35 (4) (a). The department may also make the register available to the public by electronic transmission.

(2) Except as otherwise permitted in chs. 440 to 480, an examining board or affiliated credentialing board attached to the department or an examining board may require a credential holder to submit proof of the continuing education programs or courses that he or she has completed only if a complaint is made against the credential holder.

(2m)

(a) In this subsection, “controlled substance” has the meaning given in s. 961.01 (4).

(b) The medical examining board, the podiatry affiliated credentialing board, the board of nursing, the dentistry examining board, or the optometry examining board may issue guidelines regarding best practices in prescribing controlled substances for persons credentialed by that board who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

(c)

1. The medical examining board, the podiatry affiliated credentialing board, the board of nursing, the dentistry examining board, and the optometry examining board shall, by November 1, 2018, and annually thereafter, submit a report to the persons specified in subd. 2. that does all of the following:

a. Details proactive efforts taken by the board to address the issue of opioid abuse. The board shall specify whether the board has required, or otherwise encouraged, continuing education related to prescribing controlled substances for persons credentialed by that board who are authorized to prescribe controlled substances.

b. Sets goals for addressing the issue of opioid abuse, as that issue pertains to or implicates the practices of the professions regulated by the board.

c. Describes the actions taken by the board so that the goals described in subd. 1. b. that were identified in the board's previous reports under this paragraph can be achieved, whether those goals have been achieved, and, if the goals have not been achieved, the reasons therefor.

2. A report under subd. 1. shall be submitted to all of the following:

a. Any committee, task force, or other body or person designated by the governor.

b. To the appropriate standing committees of the legislature with jurisdiction over health issues under s. 13.172 (3).

History: 1977 c. 418 ss. 25, 793, 929 (41); 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (1); 1979 c. 34; 1989 a. 56 s. 259; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 107; 1997 a. 27, 191, 237; 2015 a. 269; 2017 a. 59, 262.