2012 Vermont Statutes
Title 03 Executive
Chapter 5 SECRETARY OF STATE
§ 123 Duties of office

§ 123. Duties of office

(a) The office shall provide administrative, secretarial, financial, investigatory, inspection, and legal services to the boards. The administrative services provided by the office shall include:

(1) Sending, receiving, and processing applications for licenses.

(2) Issuing, recording, renewing, and reinstating all licenses as ordered by the boards, an appellate officer, the director, an administrative law officer, or a court.

(3) Revoking or suspending licenses as ordered by the boards, the director, an administrative law officer, or a court.

(4) Keeping all files and records of the boards, including minutes of meetings.

(5) Compiling and maintaining a current register of all licensees.

(6) Compiling and maintaining statistical information for each board including the number of applications received; the number of licenses, certificates, registrations, and permits issued, renewed, and reinstated; examination results; the number and disposition of inspections and complaints; and the number of board meetings.

(7) Collecting and depositing all fees into the professional regulatory fee fund.

(8) Arranging payment of all expenses incurred by the boards within the limits of the funds appropriated to them.

(9) Standardizing, to the extent feasible and with the advice of the boards, all applications, licenses, and other related forms.

(10) Notifying the public and board members of all meetings and examinations to be held by the boards and arranging for places for those meetings and examinations.

(11) Assisting the boards in adopting, amending and repealing rules.

(12) With the assistance of the boards, establishing a schedule of license renewal and termination dates so as to distribute the renewal work in the office as effectively as possible. Licenses may be issued and renewed according to that schedule for periods of up to two years with an appropriate pro rata adjustment of fees. A person whose initial license is issued within 90 days prior to the set renewal date shall not be required to renew the license until the end of the first full biennial licensing period following initial licensure.

(13) To the extent that resources permit, providing other administrative services which are necessary or desirable for the efficient operation of the boards.

(b) The director shall consult with each board and prepare a consolidated budget for the office. This budget shall be prepared after consideration of the budgets submitted by the boards to the director. The consolidated budget shall also contain funds deemed to be required by the director for the administration of this chapter. The director shall submit the consolidated budget to the secretary of state.

(c) The director may purchase examination materials and contract with examination providers to administer examinations.

(d) The director may adopt procedures for the effective administration of this section.

(e) The secretary of state shall contract with and appoint one or more attorneys licensed to practice in this state to serve as administrative law officers under subsection 129(j) of this title or appellate officers under section 130a of this title.

(f) Classified state employees who are employed as investigators by the secretary of state who have successfully met the standards of training for a full-time law enforcement officer under 20 V.S.A. chapter 151 shall have the same powers as sheriffs in criminal matters and the enforcement of the law and in serving criminal process, and shall have all the immunities and matters of defense now available or hereafter made available to sheriffs in a suit brought against them in consequence for acts done in the course of their employment. (Added 1989, No. 250 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1997, No. 40, § 2; 1999, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 51; 2003, No. 122 (Adj. Sess.), § 78g; 2005, No. 27, § 1; 2007, No. 163 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2009, No. 33, § 4; 2009, No. 103 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2011, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)