Regulatory News Roundup The latest news about regulatory agencies around the country
Wash. Breach Potentially Exposed Personal Information of Millions of Licensed Professionals The Washington
State Department of Licensing reported that a data breach potentially exposed the personal information of millions of licensed professionals. After noticing suspicious activity on their online licensing system in January, the department shut down their online platform, Polaris, temporarily. The agency licenses approximately 40 categories of professionals and businesses. Polaris processes data from 23 professions and business types, according to Oregon Live on Feb. 6.
Fraudsters Will Use 10% of Federal Infrastructure
Money, Experts Say Stephen Street, president of the Association of Inspectors General, a nonprofit membership group, estimates fraudsters will use about 10% or $120 billion of the federal infrastructure money heading to states and cities. Street, also Louisiana’s inspector general, explains “our experience has always been when you have a large amount of money—and this is pretty gargantuan—there will be an element of fraud built in.” Examples of fraud, he said, may include false documentation, reimbursements for money never spent and fake records. According to Statelineon
Feb. 3, some watchdogs believe congress failed to provide adequate oversight provisions in the legislation that created the program.
Nev. Gaming Board Tracks Down $230K Slots Winner A man hit the jackpot at a slot machine at Las Vegas’ Treasure Island Hotel Casino, winning $230,000—but he never knew; the slot machine malfunctioned and failed to notify him or casino personnel. The man traveled back home to Arizona before anyone noticed the error. The Nevada Gaming Control Board, after an exhaustive search, including examining surveillance video and electronic purchase records, identified the winner. According to MSNon Feb. 7, gaming officials say Robert Taylor plans to travel back to Las Vegas to claim his prize. CLEAR Reviews Regulatory Trends for 2021 In the podcast, Regulations Matters: a CLEAR conversation, the Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation (CLEAR) examines regulatory trends for 2021; CLEAR presidents from
around the globe—both past and present—discuss their international perspectives on those trends in professional regulation. Listen to or read their feedback on various topics, including disciplining practitioners for COVID misinformation, discrimination in regulation, licensure problems for veterans and military members, as well as telepractice. The podcast aired on Feb. 8.
How do you increase the efficiency of field staff? A
mobile-enabled licensing system
Inspectors and other staff in the field should be able to access your agency’s licensing system over mobile devices, such as laptops and
tablets. This capability allows them to enter data and update records in the system from remote locations, eliminating the need to key in data again upon returning to the office. Mobile functionality also should include geostamping, which discourages fraudulent behavior by establishing that inspectors are where they are supposed to be.
How licensing agencies contribute to the functioning of our democracy: “The functioning of our democracy” – sounds kind of hokey, right? It’s not. Our country was founded on an experiment in
self-governing, as an alternative form of ruling that was more likely to preserve the liberty of its citizens... KEEP READING
Breaking Down the Walls: Transitioning from Office to Remote Work: Find out what government agency employees said they found challenging and rewarding about the transition...KEEP READING
NC Nursecast Predicts Need for Providers: The North Carolina Board of Nursing worked with a research team to develop an interactive online tool that predicts the supply of and demand for nurses across the state. It's powered by historical licensure data. Learn more on our website. Q&A with Lee McGrath of the Institute for Justice: McGrath, the Institute's senior legislative counsel, talks regulatory reform. Check out the Q&A on our website.
Webinar Recording: Self-Service Portals, How COVID Made Web Portals a Must Have
Watch the recording! COVID forced government agencies to make changes, including offering additional self-service options. Self-service websites save your agency time and effort by giving those that your agency serves convenient options for: licensee look up, online renewals and online
applications.
Have a question for Government Geek? Have a question for Government Geek? Please send us an email at govgeek@glsolutions.com.
Q: Should I accept payments for incomplete applications and renewals?
A: The answer to this question can usually be determined by an agency’s financial management process. Financial management may not always receive the attention it deserves within agencies, but a poor financial management system can, and has in the past, led to audits from the Secretary of State. KEEP READING
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