The House State Government Committee will take testimony Wednesday from those seeking passage of HB 127 which would permit the Architect’s Licensing Board as well as other individual boards, commissions, and agencies to adopt rules to determine what criminal offenses are “substantially related” to an applicable profession, the committing of which offenses causes certain licenses, permits, registrations, and certificates to be denied, revoked, suspended, or not renewed.

Under current law, certain boards, commissions, and agencies have the authority to deny, revoke, suspend, refuse to renew, or impose conditions on a license, permit, registration, or certificate if the applicant or holder has committed certain crimes. The bill changes the varying types of those crimes to a “criminal offense that is substantially related” to the applicable profession. The bill defines “criminal offense that is substantially related” to mean that “the nature of the felony or misdemeanor offense for which the person was convicted or to which the person pleaded guilty has a direct bearing on the fitness or ability of the person to perform one or more of the duties or responsibilities necessarily related to a particular occupation, profession, or trade regulated by Title [47] of the Revised Code.”

Today the State Board of Examiners of Architects may deny renewal of, revoke, or suspend a certificate of qualification or a certificate of authorization if the certificate holder has been found guilty by the Board or a court of justice of any fraud or deceit in the holder’s professional practice or has been convicted of a felony by a court of justice. (R.C. 4703.15.) HB 127 would add. . . or pleaded guilty to a criminal offense that is substantially related to the practice of architecture by a court of justice.