Chief judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings allowed to set aside certain permanent disqualifications.

HF 3174 allows the chief judge of the Office of Administrative Hearings to set aside certain permanent background disqualifications for individuals seeking employment in licensed programs, primarily affecting those in child foster care and substance use disorder treatment fields. The bill requires the chief judge to assess whether the individual poses no risk of harm, considering factors like the nature of the original offense, rehabilitation efforts, time elapsed, and for substance use workers, proof of treatment and one year of abstinence. It specifies strict criteria for substance use treatment roles, including documentation of successful treatment and no recent disqualifying conduct. The set-aside is limited to specific programs or agencies and does not remove the underlying disqualification.