Iowa set to expedite, relax licensing process
Two upcoming pieces of legislation in Iowa could help expedite the state’s licensing processes. The Second Workforce Bill would establish requirements for work-based learning programs while directing licensing boards to develop procedures that hasten the professional licensing process for spouses of active-duty members of the military, as other states have done recently. Another bill on workforce and tort reform aims to help unemployed Iowans get back in the workforce faster.
As the Iowa Association of Business and Industry reports, modernizing Iowa’s employment insurance system and “turning it into a re-employment system” is a top priority for businesses in the state. The bill would also shorten the duration for an individual to qualify for unemployment benefits from six months to four months and add a one-week waiting period before a person is eligible for benefits. Read more about the bills here.
Idaho poised to allow expungement of old disciplinary actions
Idaho’s House Bill 612 will allow authorities responsible for licensing to assess and grant requests for “expunging disciplinary actions previously imposed on someone’s occupational license.” According to the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the disciplinary actions delivered by licensing authorities are sometimes issued for comparatively mild offenses including failing to renew licenses in a timely manner or failing to finish required continuing education. In the case of such offenses, a successful request would have to target a disciplinary action at least three years old after the requester met the terms of the action without any subsequent violations. Learn more about the bill, which passed third reading last week, at the Idaho Legislature.
Burgum pledges to cut licensing red tape in North Dakota
Signaling a move towards more efficient regulatory processes, North Dakota’s governor pledged to cut red tape at licensing boards in his State of the State address last week. “Over the next year, our administration will continue to work with businesses, associations, and licensing boards to cut red tape,” Governor Doug Burgum said in his address. “We can and must be dedicated to creating the most open and transferrable occupational licensing system in the nation.” Burgum also discussed expanding North Dakota’s automation tax credit, explaining that transforming undesirable jobs into automated processes and reskilling workers is essential for dependable, long-term careers in the state. Read his full address on the state’s website and read about it at U.S. News and World Report.
Legislation to speed up professional licensure passes Illinois Senate
Legislators in Illinois hope new laws will cut red tape for new professionals entering the workforce in the state. Senate Bill 670 would require the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to process complete applications within four weeks and would hasten licensure for accountants, speech pathologists, health care workers, and certain other professionals. The legislation was introduced after hearing word from Complaints over long professional licensing processes among stare residents spurred the legislation, which now moves to the House for further consideration. Read more at The Southland Journal.
Woman convicted of cancer charity theft gets pharmacy technician license
Also in Iowa, a woman convicted in 2017 for stealing nearly $4,000 from a cancer charity has been granted a license to work as a state-approved pharmacy technician. The approval process for a license in the state would have required the woman to disclose any previous convictions, including the 2017 cancer charity theft conviction. The woman was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony theft charge, but was instead placed on a five-year probation as the prison term was suspended at the time of sentencing. Learn more at the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Also noteworthy:
- Opinion: Sidelined workers help fuel inflation (Yahoo! News)
- Legislative and policy trends to watch in 2022 (JD Supra)
- Outdated licensing rules make it hard for part-time lawyers to remain in the workforce (Independent Women’s Forum)
- Watch: powerful two-minute testimony on the need to reform Washington’s system of job licensing (Washington Policy Center)
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