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Bill

SB 2749

Community health workers; establish licensure program by Department of Health and certain provisions of law related to.

2025 Regular Session

Proposes a state-run licensure program for community health workers to standardize competency, oversight, and practice, affecting CHWs, employers, and training programs.

Died On Calendar
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Bill Summary · SB 2749

Summary — SB 2749 (Community Health Workers; licensure program)

Status: Died on Calendar
Introduced: March 13, 2025
Primary Sponsors: Senator Hall; Senator Rhoads
Subject: Public Health and Welfare
Related/companion bills: HB 1106, HB 2086

Note: The full bill text was not provided. This summary is based on the bill title and available legislative actions and therefore describes the bill’s stated purpose and the types of provisions such a measure typically contains. Where specifics were not available, language reflects likely or common components of similar legislation.

Purpose / Intent

SB 2749 sought to establish a formal licensure program for community health workers (CHWs) administered by the state Department of Health. The bill’s intent was to create state-recognized standards, oversight, and a regulatory framework to professionalize CHWs, ensure basic competency and public safety, and integrate CHWs more consistently into the health system.

Key provisions (as expected from the title)

While the bill text is not included, a licensure-establishing bill of this type typically would:

  • Direct the Department of Health to create a CHW licensure or certification program, including rulemaking authority.
  • Define “community health worker” and outline scope of practice, permissible activities, and limits (e.g., health education, care navigation, outreach).
  • Set eligibility requirements for licensure (education, training hours, supervised practice, passing an exam, background checks).
  • Provide for transition or grandfathering provisions for existing CHWs (recognition of prior training/experience).
  • Establish fees, application and renewal processes, continuing education requirements, and recordkeeping.
  • Specify disciplinary procedures and grounds for suspension/revocation.
  • Amend related statutes to integrate CHW licensure into public health programs, workforce planning, and possibly reimbursement or contracting rules.

Who would be affected

  • Community health workers: would be subject to licensure requirements, fees, and continuing education.
  • Department of Health: charged with program implementation, oversight, and rulemaking.
  • Employers and health providers: would need to verify licensure for CHWs, adjust hiring/training practices.
  • Training programs and community organizations: potential need to align curricula to licensure standards.
  • Patients and communities: potential benefits from standardized CHW competencies and oversight.

Procedural history & timeline

  • Filed/received by Senate Secretary: March 13, 2025 (filed and first reading same day).
  • Referred to Health & Human Services: April 3, 2025.
  • Committee action: Title Suff Do Pass Comm Sub noted January 29, 2025.
  • Final status: Died On Calendar (February 13, 2025), i.e., the bill did not reach final passage in the legislative session.

Potential impacts

  • Professionalization and standardization of the CHW workforce could improve quality and integration of community-based services.
  • Licensure could increase administrative and financial burdens for individual CHWs and small community organizations (fees, training requirements).
  • May facilitate clearer roles for CHWs in public health initiatives and payer reimbursement if tied to program rules or Medicaid policy in companion bills.

Next steps / related legislation

Companion bills HB 1106 and HB 2086 may contain similar provisions or offer alternate approaches; stakeholders may pursue those or refile in a future session given SB 2749’s failure to advance.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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