Researchers call for new aerospace medicine licensure standards 

As the era of commercial space flight draws near, researchers at Western University are considering alternative licensing solutions that would allow Canadian doctors to care for their patients while they are in orbit. This was preceded by a call for expanded multi-jurisdictional licensing privileges during the COVID-19 pandemic, which would allow physicians to treat Canadians across province and territory lines.  

Dr. Adam Sirek, an adjunct research professor at the university, said these licensing changes could allow doctors to also care for patients in space. These physicians would have to be trained to safely and effectively practice medicine in the new frontier. How that would work, exactly, is still being debated. Dr. Sirek said this issue will become more pressing as commercial space passengers will likely not be as healthy as traditional astronauts. 

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recently appointed a new committee to alter its licensure path for doctors who want to practice aerospace medicine. This panel will review and change standards within the discipline as needed. The Royal College has only certified two physicians in the field thus far, but officials predict demand for licensure will grow once the new program gains traction. Read more at The Globe and Mail. 

NH constituents debate regulatory consolidation measures 

A recent budget meeting in New Hampshire provided a forum for both support and criticism of new state legislation seeking to consolidate and eliminate licensing boards across many different fields. House Bill 2, which is endorsed by Governor Chris Sununu, would eliminate hundreds of statutory provisions, regulatory boards, and license types throughout the state. 

Supporters of the plan argue the reduction in bureaucracy would attract professionals to work in the state, boosting commerce and addressing worker shortages that have plagued New Hampshire. Many regulated professionals from the affected fields, however, believe this act of deregulation could endanger public safety and negatively impact the integrity of professions. 

The House is also debating a budget bill that would further fund in-home support care for the disabled. The Senate must also develop its own budget, which will likely incorporate elements from both the governor’s and the House’s budgets. The entire process is predicted to end in June, at which point an overall budget will be established for the next two years. Read more at InDepthNH.org. 

NJ passes new bills to support military veterans 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law two new bills intended to support military veterans in the state. One bill aims to simplify licensure for those with military medical training to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and the other would increase funding for veterans’ funeral costs. Gov. Murphy said the new laws would ease the financial burden on low-income military families and provide veterans with more civilian employment opportunities. 

Under the first bill, A-2493, county governments will cover the cost of burial and cremation for veterans who are unable to afford it. Income eligibility will be defined as anything that falls below 200% of the federal poverty level. The second, A-2722, will allow veterans who have sufficiently completed the Army Practical Nurse Program or the Air Force BMTCP-4N051 to apply for licensure without receiving an additional practical nursing education. 

Sponsors of the second bill include Senator Jon Bramnick and Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis. Michael D. Boll, Director of the New Jersey Veterans Network, said the simplified path to certification will benefit the civilian workforce and veterans alike, boosting the state’s pool of LPNs and giving those with military medical training a new opportunity to apply this training in their communities. Read more at NJ.gov. 

Iowa House passes new teacher licensing measures 

Iowa legislators recently passed two new bills intended to address the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. House File 255 offers two new pathways for licensure, one of which implements a teacher intern license for those with adequate educational schooling who do not fully meet the state’s licensing requirements. The other route offers a temporary license for anybody with a four-year degree who has received alternative educational certification online. 

Opponents of this measure argue that increasing funding for schools is a safer way to boost the teacher workforce without sacrificing standards of education and practice. Supporters, such as Rep. Henry Stone, believe legislators must “think outside of the box” and allow those with alternative certifications to try their hand at teaching in the state, as those in other states have done. 

House File 430 would change reporting requirements for teachers in the state while also reducing the number of professionals on the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. The revised board would be comprised of five licensed educators, five parents, and one school board member. Critics say this reduces the influence of those with legitimate educational experience, while supporters believe it gives parents more say in the education of their children. Read more at the Iowa Capital Dispatch. 

PA addiction specialists weigh in on opioid epidemic, treatment facility licensure 

Panelists in Harrisburg, PA, offered their perspectives on the state’s ongoing effort to combat the opioid epidemic and reduce its death toll at a three-hour-long public hearing Thursday. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania hosted the panelists, who called for regulatory reforms that would remove “unnecessary” barriers for addicts seeking to check into treatment centers. 

Under previous Governor Tom Wolf, the state’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) sought to crack down on rehabilitation service providers who failed to meet certain regulations, including laws that enforced staff-to-client ratio requirements for treatment centers. Critics of these regulations, any of whom work in treatment services, argue that licensure requirements are worsening staff shortages brought on by low wages and other private-sector factors.

Jason Snyder, director of the behavioral health division for the Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association, said lawmakers must work to address a crisis in which new clients are turned away from treatment centers because the centers cannot hire enough counselors. Lawmakers weighed in as well, questioning panelists on what exactly a preventive approach to the opioid crisis would look like. Read more at the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. 

More news: 

• Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon recently signed into law a new bill which will create licensure requirements for debt buyers. This comes amidst an ongoing debate in the state over the definition of a “collection agency.” A debt buyer will now be explicitly defined as “any person that is regularly engaged in the business of purchasing charged-off consumer debt for collection purposes” and require licensure starting July 1, 2023. 
• A new House Bill in Idaho would crack down on funding and expenditure for occupational licensing boards and commissions if passed into law. Under the new measure, agencies whose end-of-year fund balances do not fall between 10% and 125% of their five-year rolling average of annual expenditures must submit a plan to fix their budgeting. It follows a report from the Legislative Services Office Audit Division which found that several agencies had fund balances exceeding their financial needs. 
• The Tennessee State Senate recently passed a new bill which would allow home medical tech providers from out of state to offer their services without additional licensure. The law is named after Quinlee Shriner, a one-year-old girl with a rare genetic disease who was unable to obtain a cuirass ventilator for home use and subsequently had her hospital discharge delayed. Shriner later died from the illness. 
• Ontario’s Bill 60, which is currently being debated by lawmakers, would offer license mobility for nurses who practice in other parts of Canada and come to the province looking to continue work in their profession. These nurses would no longer need to wait for licensure through the Ontario College of Nurses. Critics argue the measure could deregulate certain health professions. 

Also noteworthy: 

Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web: 

• New book tells the previously unknown trailblazing story of America’s first professional architect (University at Buffalo) 
• Opinion: Licensing for landscape architects is a matter of public health and safety (New Hampshire Bulletin) 
• How telehealth policy is evolving at the state level (mHealth Intelligence) 
• Other states are loosening, cutting back on occupational licensing. Why not California? (Orange County Register) 
• Why have any government-mandated occupational standards at all? (Washington Examiner) 
• Why global coordination on crypto regulation is paramount (Forkast)  

Disclaimer: The thoughts, opinions, and commentary of the articles we share links to in Week in Brief do not necessarily reflect those of Ascend Magazine or Thentia.