The Legislative Audit Bureau makes 12 recommendations to the Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Administration of Credentials (p. 11)

We recommend the Department of Safety and Professional Services:  

1. develop comprehensive written policies for administering credentials; (p. 12)
2. train its staff to consistently follow these written policies; (p. 12)
3. develop written policies that require it to refund application fees paid by individuals who used an incorrect application method; (p. 13)
4. train its staff to consistently follow these written policies; (p. 13)
5. comply with statutes by developing written policies that prohibit its staff from requesting credential applicants to email any portion of their Social Security numbers and providing such confidential information to third parties; (p. 21)
6. comply with statutes by regularly training its staff on these policies; (p. 21)
7. ensure it has current contracts with all entities that provide it with services; (p. 24)

Future Considerations (p. 33)

We recommend Department of Safety and Professional Services:

8. regularly report on its website additional information pertaining to its administration of credentials; (p. 35)
9. develop policies that require it to regularly collect and assess information about the productivity of its credentialing staff, document the results of its assessments, and use the results to improve its operations; (p. 36)
10. consistently comply with its newly developed policies; (p. 36)
11. use the productivity information it has collected and assessed as the basis for any future requests for additional staffing, information technology, or other resources it believes are needed for it to administer credentials efficiently and effectively; (p. 37) and

Audit Follow-Up Reporting

12. We recommend the Department of Safety and Professional Services report to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee by March 15, 2024, on its efforts to implement all of these recommendations.