71-6224 Technical committee; appointment; membership; meetings; duties. - Nebraska Statutes

71-6224. Technical committee; appointment; membership; meetings; duties.(1) The director with the advice of the board shall appoint an appropriate technical committee to examine and investigate each application. The committee shall consist of six appointed members and one member of the board designated by the board who shall serve as chairperson of the committee. The chairperson of the committee shall not be a member of the applicant group, any health profession sought to be regulated by the application, or any health profession which is directly or indirectly affected by the application. The director shall ensure that the total composition of the committee is fair, impartial, and equitable. In no event shall more than two members of the same regulated health profession, the applicant group, or the health profession sought to be regulated by an application serve on a technical committee.(2) As soon as possible after its appointment, the committee shall meet and review the application assigned to it. Each committee shall conduct public factfinding hearings and shall otherwise investigate the application. Each committee shall comply with the Open Meetings Act.(3) Applicant groups shall have the burden of bringing forth evidence upon which the committee shall make its findings. Each committee shall detail its findings in a report and file the report with the board and the director. Each committee shall evaluate the application presented to it on the basis of the appropriate criteria as established in sections 71-6221 to 71-6223. If a committee finds that all appropriate criteria are not met, it shall recommend denial of the application. If it finds that all appropriate criteria are met by the application as submitted, it shall recommend approval. If the committee finds that the criteria would be met if amendments were made to the application, it may recommend such amendments to the applicant group and it may allow such amendments to be made before making its final recommendations. If the committee recommends approval of an application for regulation of a health profession not currently regulated, it shall also recommend the least restrictive method of regulation to be implemented consistent with the cost-effective protection of the public and with section 71-6222. The committee may recommend a specific method of regulation not listed in section 71-6222 if it finds that such method is the best alternative method of regulation. Whether it recommends approval or denial of an application, the committee may make additional recommendations regarding solutions to problems identified during the review. SourceLaws 1985, LB 407, § 24; Laws 1988, LB 384, § 10; Laws 2004, LB 821, § 20. Cross ReferencesOpen Meetings Act, see section 84-1407.