§26H‑2  Policy.  The legislature
hereby adopts the following policies regarding the regulation of certain
professions and vocations:



(1)  The regulation and licensing of professions and
vocations shall be undertaken only where reasonably necessary to protect the
health, safety, or welfare of consumers of the services; the purpose of
regulation shall be the protection of the public welfare and not that of the
regulated profession or vocation;



(2)  Regulation in the form of full licensure or other
restrictions on certain professions or vocations shall be retained or adopted
when the health, safety, or welfare of the consumer may be jeopardized by the
nature of the service offered by the provider;



(3)  Evidence of abuses by providers of the service
shall be accorded great weight in determining whether regulation is desirable;



(4)  Professional and vocational regulations which
artificially increase the costs of goods and services to the consumer shall be
avoided except in those cases where the legislature determines that this cost
is exceeded by the potential danger to the consumer;



(5)  Professional and vocational regulations shall be
eliminated when the legislature determines that they have no further benefits
to consumers;



(6)  Regulation shall not unreasonably restrict entry
into professions and vocations by all qualified persons; and



(7)  Fees for regulation and licensure shall be
imposed for all vocations and professions subject to regulation; provided that
the aggregate of the fees for any given regulatory program shall not be less
than the full cost of administering that program. [L 1977, c 70, pt of §2; am L
1980, c 142, §1; am L 1996, c 45, §1]