Florida joins Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact

Florida became the sixth state to sign on to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact after a bipartisan bill (HB 1125) was recently signed into law. Although the compact will not become active until a total of 10 states join, 13 states currently have pending legislation.

HB 1125 will allow teachers who are licensed in other member states to practice in Florida without completing any additional coursework or state-specific exams. The bill also extends to educators who specialize in trade subjects like plumbing, electrical work, and automobile mechanics to support the state’s growing trade and technical education system.

Legislators from both sides of the aisle unanimously supported the bill as one way to ease the state’s teacher shortage, but not everyone agrees that it will significantly boost the number of teachers in the state. Andrew Spar, president of the Florida’s largest teachers’ union, said that joining the compact “will do nothing to ease the massive shortages” because it fails to address the root causes of the problem, which include poor pay. Read more from Florida Politics.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed another bill that would include Florida in the Professional Counselors Licensure compact.

Michigan Senate takes aim at licensing hunting, fishing guides

Michigan legislators are considering two measures (SB 103 and 104) that would require mandatory licensing for hunting and fishing guides in the state.

The legislation would require guides to pay licensing fees of $150 for state residents or $300 for out-of-state residents; become certified in first aid and CPR and carry a first aid kit; file detailed monthly reports regarding the number of game, clients, and locations; and have no criminal conviction of certain misdemeanors nor any felony conviction in the past three years. Unlicensed hunting and fishing guides would face fines of $500 for their first offense and $1,000 thereafter.

If passed, the regulations would be some of the strictest in the nation, and far more stringent than those in neighboring or Midwestern states, according to a piece by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy published in The County Press.

Massachusetts insurance regulators examine Point32Health data breach

Massachusetts insurance regulators have opened an examination into a cyberattack on one of the state’s largest health insurance providers, Point32Health.

The data breach, which took place between March 28 and April 17, may have compromised personal data including addresses, medical history, and Social Security numbers of current and former Harvard Pilgrim Health Care policyholders. Point32Health, the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim, is also conducting an internal investigation.

The Division of Insurance is looking into how the data breach could affect the company, health care providers, and members who use the insurance, and working with Point32Health to provide consumers and providers with resources to help with financial consequences of the breach.

According to a government spokesperson, the insurer failed to provide a formal notice of the breach to the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation as required by law. The company has so far declined to offer an estimate of the number of people potentially affected by the breach, but a spokesperson said it will be notifying individuals who may have been affected. Read more in the Boston Globe.

US Department of Education issues proposed regulations

The U.S. Department of Education recently released an expansive package of proposed regulations addressing gainful employment (“GE”) and financial value transparency, financial responsibility and administrative capability issues, certification, and ability to benefit. Other than the GE proposals, these regulations apply to virtually all programs and all institutions.

Included within the certification topic are proposed new regulations regarding state authorization that would impact current reciprocity agreements. Under the proposal, for each state where the institution or its students are located, the institution must determine that each of its programs: (a) meets any programmatic accreditation requirement for employment or otherwise, and (b) satisfies any requirements to seek professional licensure or certification if needed to work in the field in that state.

Proposed changes would also require institutions to comply “with all State consumer protection laws related to closure, recruitment, and misrepresentations, including both generally applicable State laws and those specific to educational institutions” in all states where either the institution or its students are located.

The Department is currently accepting comments until June 20, 2023. Final regulations are planned to be finished no later than November 1 and will be effective as of July 1, 2024. Read a full summary of the proposed regulations from JD Supra.

Bipartisan bill would legalize marijuana in Ohio

Ohio lawmakers are considering a bipartisan bill (HB 168) that would legalize adult-use cannabis, allowing Ohioans aged 21 and over to cultivate, purchase, and possess marijuana. The bill would also allow conviction records for prior cultivation and possession offenses to be expunged.

If the measure passes, Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program will be renamed to the Division of Marijuana Control. The division would be housed within the Ohio Department of Commerce and charged with regulating both medical marijuana and adult-use programs.

HB 168 would put a 10% sales tax on adult-use cannabis products, which Ohio State University researchers estimate could generate $276 million to $374 million in annual tax revenue by year five of an operational adult-use cannabis market.

Between the legislation and a similar ballot proposal currently collecting signatures from citizens, activists are confident that marijuana will soon be legalized in Ohio. Read more from the Ohio Capital Journal.

Newfoundland and Labrador government announces financial incentives for nurse practitioners

The Newfoundland and Labrador government announced new financial incentives for nurse practitioners who commit to work within a family care team in the province.

Based on geographic location, incentives ranging from $20,000 to $40,000 will be offered to nurse practitioners (including new graduates, existing employees, and retired employees) who commit to work within a family care team for a one-year period, with an option to extend the incentive for a second year.

Yvette Coffey, president of the Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador, said in a news release that the incentives are much needed and hopefully will help address challenges occurring in areas where there is no primary health care, particularly in rural and remote regions.

There are nine family care teams currently in various stages of implementation throughout the province, with 10 more announced for development in 2023-24. According to the release, these new family care teams will provide access to primary care for up to 80,000 people. Read more on SaltWire.

More news:

• New rules from the Minnesota Board of Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) allow the board to revoke the license of police officers who violate its conduct guidelines based on evidence presented in an administrative hearing — regardless of whether the officer has been charged or convicted of a crime.
• A new report from Newfoundland and Labrador’s privacy commissioner says that the cyberattack that temporarily knocked down health care IT systems in October 2021 was “foreseeable” and that the provincial government broke privacy laws by not disclosing key details quickly enough.
• Lawmakers in Hawaii passed a bill in May allowing the state to join the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, an agreement among states that streamlines the licensing process for doctors.
• Nursing unions are pushing back against a bill that would allow Alaska to join the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), arguing that it would harm nurses and doesn’t address the problem of supply, which they say is constrained by universities in the state.
• On May 31, the Supreme Court of Georgia unanimously ruled that a law requiring lactation care providers to obtain a state-issued license is unconstitutional and violates Georgians’ right to earn a living.

Also noteworthy:

Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:

• Everyone wants to regulate AI. No one can agree how (WIRED)
• Support for marijuana legalization no longer divisive (Bold TV)
• Australian finance secretary on what data-driven and digitally enabled government really means (The Mandarin)
• Should the government be allowed to use facial recognition? (The Week)
• Risk of extinction by AI should be global priority, say experts (The Guardian)

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.