New Jersey becomes 47th state to require professional licensing for police officers

New Jersey recently became the 47th state in the U.S. to require licenses for police officers after Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation into law implementing a new police licensure program. Under the new law, all police officers in the state will have to hold an active, valid license from the Police Training Commission in order to remain employed as police in New Jersey. The application process requires a psychological evaluation, maintaining ongoing post-academy training, and not engaging in illegal or improper conduct, and each officer will have to renew their license every three years. The program was initially proposed by Murphy earlier in 2022, after the PTC previously voted unanimously to institute a police licensing program in 2020. The new law has also received support from both the New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police and State Troopers Fraternal Association. Read more from the Philly Voice.

Health minister promises to help Ukrainian health-care workers overcome employment barriers in Newfoundland

Newfoundland and Labrador Health Minister Tom Osborne recently met with a group of Ukrainian health-care workers who fled the Russian invasion of their country to discuss how the province can address licensing barriers that are preventing them from practicing. The meeting came as the province’s strained health care system continues to battle a shortage of doctors and other health care professionals which has left nearly 125,000 people currently without a family doctor and caused the frequent closure of emergency departments in dozens of rural communities throughout this year. Osborne underscored the need to remove barriers and expedite the licensing process, saying that the group will also be meeting with the College of Physicians and Surgeons to discuss the issue. The province’s Health Department has already removed one obstacle by agreeing to pay the professional licensing fees for the Ukrainian workers. However, English language proficiency remains a major hurdle for some of the Ukrainians as not everyone is currently fluent. Read more from CBC.

Candidates notified of investigation as Ontario’s law society digs into cheating on licensing exams

As part of its investigation into cheating on the November 2021 barrister and solicitor licensing examinations, the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has notified a “number of candidates” that “evidence obtained to date strongly supports the conclusion that they breached the law society’s rules and regulations” regarding the exams. The LSO declined to specify how many candidates have been notified, but a spokesperson said that more details will be released upon the investigation’s conclusion. If misconduct is found, the LSO may pursue a range of outcomes against the candidates, including giving a ‘Fail’ result for the voided examination (which would count as an examination attempt); deeming the candidate’s registration in the Law Society’s licensing process to be void; or referring the candidate’s application for licensing to the society’s tribunal. Read more from The Lawyer’s Daily.

It’s becoming easier to get permission to work, but not by enough, says Reason magazine

Despite occupational licensing reform gaining traction in recent years, red tape can still make it difficult for people to find employment in licensed professions, and the current economic crunch makes it more urgent than ever to remove these hurdles, a recent story in Reason magazine argues. The story notes the success of recent occupational reforms across states, including Arizona’s 2019 universal licensure law, which boosted the state’s economy according to a recent study. Citing recent research from Harvard University suggesting that licensing has a “profound impact” in reducing labor supply and creating persistent labor shortages, the author asserts that occupational reform needs to go further than easing licensing barriers and must “entirely eliminate” such rules. Read the full story from Reason.

Memphis nursing home still open after license suspended

A Memphis nursing home is still operating a month after the state suspended its license. The Tennessee Board of Licensing Health Care Facilities suspended the license of Loving Arms in June after inspectors found numerous health and safety violations. The facility was ordered to relocate residents within 10 days and can no longer accept new clients. However, FOX13 News found it still operating during a visit in July. Problems with the facility go back to 2018, when inspectors found missing documentation and uncertified staff caring for the residents, and also identified several concerns surrounding resident care. The facility was put on probation for the next two years due to continued incompliance. Its license was finally suspended after an unannounced inspection on June 7 found that it was failing to provide proper care for patients. Read more from FOX13 News.

Other news:

• Three men are facing federal charges of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of stolen mail and possession of stolen United States Postal Service keys for allegedly washing and altering checks stolen from USPS collection boxes in the Philadelphia area.
• Utah chiropractor Brent David Noorda appeared in court for sentencing on two second-degree felony counts of forcible sexual abuse and three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery. Nearly a dozen of Noorda’s patients and employees either read victim impact statements or spoke in open court as they described the damage inflicted by his actions.
• Naturopathic physician Dr. Virginia Frazer had her medical license suspended indefinitely after a complaint was made to the Washington state Department of Health that she issued medical exemption letters to parents who did not want their children to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Also noteworthy:

• Are we seeing a major shift in government data sharing? (Global Government Forum)
• Expectations high, but trust low on digital government services (Government News)
• One year of action since President Biden’s executive order on competition (Foley & Lardner LLP)

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