653—20.8(147,148H) Application requirements.
	20.8(1) Application for licensure. To apply for a license to practice genetic counseling, an applicant shall:
	a. 	Submit the completed application form provided by the board, including required credentials and documents, a completed fingerprint packet and a sworn statement by the applicant attesting to the truth of all information provided by the applicant;
	b. 	Pay the nonrefundable initial application fee identified in 653—paragraph 8.14(2)“a” and pay the fee identified in 653—paragraph 8.14(2)“f” for the evaluation of the fingerprint packet and the national criminal history background checks by the Iowa division of criminal investigation (DCI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
	20.8(2) Contents of the application form. Each applicant shall submit the following information on the application form provided by the board:
	a. 	The applicant’s full legal name, date and place of birth, home address, mailing address, principal business address, and personal email address regularly used by the applicant or licensee for correspondence with the board;
	b. 	A photograph of the applicant suitable for positive identification;
	c. 	A chronology accounting for all time periods from the date the applicant entered a genetic counseling training program or educational institution to the date of the application;
	d. 	The other jurisdictions in the United States or other nations or territories in which the applicant is authorized to practice genetic counseling, including license, certificate of registration or certification number and date of issuance;
	e. 	Full disclosure of the applicant’s involvement in civil litigation related to the practice of genetic counseling in any jurisdiction of the United States or other nations or territories. Copies of the legal documents may be requested if needed during the review process;
	f. 	A statement disclosing and explaining any informal or nonpublic actions, warnings issued, investigations conducted, or disciplinary actions taken, whether by voluntary agreement or formal action, by a medical, genetic counseling or professional regulatory authority, an educational institution, a training or research program, or a health facility in any jurisdiction;
	g. 	A statement disclosing and explaining any charge of a misdemeanor or felony involving the applicant filed in any jurisdiction, whether or not any appeal or other proceeding is pending to have the conviction or plea set aside;
	h. 	A letter sent directly from the ABGC or ABMGG to the board verifying the applicant holds active certification in genetic counseling by the ABGC or ABMGG for genetic counselor licensure or proof of active candidate status for provisional licensure;
	i. 	A statement of the applicant’s physical and mental health, including full disclosure and a written explanation of any dysfunction or impairment which may affect the ability of the applicant to engage in the practice of genetic counseling and provide patients with safe and healthful care; and
	j. 	A completed fingerprint packet to facilitate a national criminal history background check. The fee for evaluation of the fingerprint packet and the DCI and FBI criminal history background checks will be assessed to the applicant.
	20.8(3) Application cycle. If the applicant does not submit all materials, including a completed fingerprint packet, within 90 days of the board’s initial request for further information, the application shall be considered inactive. The board office shall notify the applicant of this change in status.
	a. 	To reactivate the application, an applicant shall submit a nonrefundable reactivation of application fee identified in 653—paragraph 8.14(2)“b” and shall update application materials if requested by the board. The period for requesting reactivation is limited to 30 days from the date the applicant is notified that the application is inactive, unless the applicant is granted an extension in writing by the committee or the board.
	b. 	Once the application reactivation period is expired, an applicant must reapply and submit a new, nonrefundable initial application fee and a new application, including required documents and credentials.
	20.8(4) Applicant responsibilities. An applicant for licensure to practice genetic counseling bears full responsibility for each of the following:
	a. 	Paying all fees charged by regulatory authorities, national testing or credentialing organizations, health facilities, and educational institutions providing the information specified in subrule 20.8(2);
	b. 	Providing accurate, up-to-date, and truthful information on the application form including, but not limited to, that specified under subrule 20.8(2) related to prior professional experience, education, training, active certification, licensure or registration, and disciplinary history.
	20.8(5) Licensure application review process. A process established by the board shall be utilized to review each application. Priority shall be given to processing a licensure application when a written request is received in the board office from an applicant whose practice will primarily involve provision of services to underserved populations, including but not limited to persons who are minorities or low-income or who live in rural areas.
	a. 	An application for initial licensure shall be considered open from the date the application form is received in the board office with the nonrefundable initial application fee.
	b. 	After reviewing each application, staff shall notify the applicant about how to resolve any problems identified by the reviewer. An applicant shall provide additional information when requested by staff or the board.
	c. 	If the final review indicates that the application is complete and that the application does not raise any questions or concerns regarding the applicant’s qualifications for licensure, staff may administratively issue the license. Staff may issue the license without having received a report on the applicant from the FBI.
	d. 	If the final review indicates questions or concerns that cannot be remedied by continued communication with the applicant, the executive director, the director of licensure and the director of legal affairs shall determine if the questions or concerns indicate any uncertainty about the applicant’s current qualifications for licensure.
	(1)	If there is no current concern, staff shall administratively issue the license.
	(2)	If there are questions or concerns, an Iowa-licensed genetic counselor may be consulted.
	(3)	If any concern exists, staff shall refer the application to the committee.
	e. 	Staff shall refer to the committee for review matters which include, but are not limited to, falsification of information on the application, criminal record, malpractice, substance abuse, competency, physical or mental illness, or professional disciplinary history.
	f. 	If the committee is able to eliminate questions or concerns without dissension from staff or a committee member, the committee may direct staff to issue the license administratively.
	g. 	If the committee is not able to eliminate questions or concerns without dissension from staff or a committee member, the committee shall recommend that the board:
	(1)	Request an investigation;
	(2)	Request that the applicant appear for an interview;
	(3)	If an applicant has not engaged in the field of genetic counseling in the past three years in any jurisdiction of the United States, require an applicant to:
	1.	Successfully complete board-approved continuing education or remediation;
	2.	Successfully complete a board-approved employment-based monitoring program developed by the genetic counselor’s employer, an Iowa-licensed genetic counselor and the board;
	3.	Successfully complete any other pathway as agreed upon by the board;
	(4)	Issue a license;
	(5)	Issue a license under certain terms and conditions or with certain restrictions;
	(6)	Request that the applicant withdraw the licensure application; or
	(7)	Deny a license.
	h. 	The board shall consider applications and recommendations from the committee and shall:
	(1)	Request an investigation;
	(2)	Request that the applicant appear for an interview;
	(3)	If an applicant has not engaged in the field of genetic counseling in the past three years in any jurisdiction of the United States, require an applicant to:
	1.	Successfully complete board-approved continuing education or remediation;
	2.	Successfully complete a board-approved employment-based monitoring program developed by the genetic counselor’s employer, an Iowa-licensed genetic counselor and the board;
	3.	Successfully complete any other pathway as agreed upon by the board;
	(4)	Issue a license;
	(5)	Issue a license under certain terms and conditions or with certain restrictions;
	(6)	Request that the applicant withdraw the licensure application; or
	(7)	Deny a license. The board may deny a license for any grounds on which the board may discipline a license.
	20.8(6) Grounds for denial of licensure. The board, on the recommendation of the committee, may deny an application for licensure for any of the following reasons:
	a. 	Failure to meet the requirements for licensure specified in this chapter pursuant to Iowa Code section 148H.3.
	b. 	Pursuant to Iowa Code section 147.4, upon any of the grounds for which licensure may be revoked or suspended as specified in Iowa Code sections 147.55 and 148H.7 or in rule 653—20.20(147,148H,272C).
	20.8(7) Preliminary notice of denial. Prior to the denial of licensure to an applicant, the board shall issue a preliminary notice of denial that shall be sent to the applicant by regular, first-class mail at the address provided by the applicant. The preliminary notice of denial is a public record and shall cite the factual and legal basis for denying the application, notify the applicant of the appeal process, and specify the date upon which the denial will become final if it is not appealed.
	20.8(8) Appeal procedure. An applicant who has received a preliminary notice of denial may appeal the denial and request a hearing on the issues related to the preliminary notice of denial by serving a request for hearing upon the executive director not more than 30 calendar days following the date when the preliminary notice of denial was mailed. The applicant’s current address shall be provided in the request for hearing. The request is deemed filed on the date it is received in the board office. If the request is received with a USPS nonmetered postmark, the board shall consider the postmark date as the date the request is filed. The request shall specify the factual or legal errors and that the applicant desires an evidentiary hearing and may provide additional written information or documents in support of licensure.
	20.8(9) Hearing. If an applicant appeals the preliminary notice of denial and requests a hearing, the hearing shall be a contested case and subsequent proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with rule 653—25.30(17A).
	a. 	License denial hearings are contested cases open to the public.
	b. 	Either party may request issuance of a protective order in the event privileged or confidential information is submitted into evidence.
	c. 	Evidence supporting the denial of the license may be presented by an assistant attorney general.
	d. 	While each party shall have the burden of establishing the affirmative of matters asserted, the applicant shall have the ultimate burden of persuasion as to the applicant’s qualification for licensure.
	e. 	The board, after a hearing on license denial, may issue or deny the license. The board shall state the reasons for its decision and may issue the license, issue the license with restrictions, or deny the license. The final decision is a public record.
	f. 	Judicial review of a final order of the board denying licensure, or issuing a license with restrictions, may be sought in accordance with the provisions of Iowa Code section 17A.19, which are applicable to judicial review of any agency’s final decision in a contested case.
	20.8(10) Finality. If an applicant does not appeal a preliminary notice of denial in accordance with subrule 20.8(8), the preliminary notice of denial automatically becomes final. A final denial of an application for licensure is a public record.
	20.8(11) Failure to pursue appeal. If an applicant appeals a preliminary notice of denial in accordance with subrule 20.8(8) but the applicant fails to pursue that appeal to a final decision within one year from the date of the preliminary notice of denial, the board may dismiss the appeal. The appeal may be dismissed only after the board sends a written notice by first-class mail to the applicant at the applicant’s last-known address. The notice shall state that the appeal will be dismissed and the preliminary notice of denial will become final if the applicant does not contact the board to schedule the appeal hearing within 30 days of the date the letter is mailed from the board office. Upon dismissal of an appeal, the preliminary notice of denial becomes final. A final denial of an application for licensure under this rule is a public record.
	20.8(12) Waiver or variance prohibited. Provisions of this rule are not subject to waiver or variance pursuant to 653—Chapter 3 or any other provision of law.
[ARC 4339C, IAB 3/13/19, effective 4/17/19; see Delay note at end of chapter]