Iowans speak out on plan to cut or consolidate 100-plus state boards, commissions
More than 60 Iowans voiced their opinions about a proposal to consolidate or eliminate 119 of Iowa’s 256 boards and commissions at a recent hearing held by the Boards and Commissions Review Committee.
Some groups spoke out against consolidations they said could undermine efforts to give diverse groups a voice in Iowa. Others, representing professions ranging from psychologists to elevator service people, implored the committee to keep their licensing boards intact, arguing that these boards operate at little cost to the state but greatly benefit public safety. Iowa Dental Hygienists’ Association lobbyist Tom Cope noted that keeping practitioner expertise on licensing boards is imperative, as members of the profession can “peer review” others in their field.
While the committee doesn’t have the power to eliminate or change any boards or commissions itself, it was tasked with presenting a final report with recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by Sept. 30. It will then be up to lawmakers to decide if they move forward with legislative changes when they return to the Iowa Capitol in January. Read more in the Des Moines Register.
Interstate nurse licensure compact bill reintroduced in Michigan
Legislation that was recently reintroduced in Michigan would allow the state to join the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC).
Previous legislation failed in 2020 when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer vetoed it, saying that the compact would require Michigan to give up its regulatory authority which would violate the state’s Constitution. Nurse compact legislation didn’t receive a hearing during the 2021-2022 legislative session.
Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) noted that joining the compact would help people who live near the border get a license to work in Michigan faster and could also help address the state’s health care worker shortage. He said that he and other advocates will be working across the aisle to address concerns that could hinder the current legislation’s success, like what will happen to licensing fees currently paid to the state if Michigan joins the NLC. Read more from 89.1 WEMU News.
Wisconsin announces latest efforts to continue improving license processing, transparency
Gov. Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) announced new efforts to continue improving professional license processes at the state’s lead licensing agency.
The initiatives include a new public-facing dashboard for the state’s LicensE platform that offers real-time information on state application timelines and capacity. In addition to improving transparency, the dashboard provides insight into the success of recent efforts to enhance licensing efficiency. According to LicensE dashboard data, turnaround for new occupational license applicants was down to around four days and the department issued more than 38,000 licenses in 2023 as of late August.
The Evers administration used federal pandemic relief funds to make critical investments in DSPS in recent years, which included both technology modernization and hiring contract staff to support the department’s call center. On Aug. 31, Gov. Evers announced he would commit more federal pandemic relief funding to keep additional positions in DSPS staff through 2024. However, the agency will need the Legislature’s approval to keep its staffing at current levels after funding runs out, and the governor’s office warned of “serious negative impacts” on licensing and processing times if lawmakers fail to act. Read more in The Daily Reporter.
Shrinking CPA pipeline fuels calls to relax education requirements
The requirement that U.S. accountants attend college for five years to earn their CPA licenses has come under fire as the profession faces a deepening drought of accountants and auditors, leading critics to call for changes.
Proponents of relaxing the current rules argue that the extra year of college required to be eligible for certified public accounting credentials acts as a barrier to entry for minorities and low-income candidates and is a central cause of the profession’s pipeline issues. The number of new graduates has consistently declined since peaking in 2016, and the field now faces a critical shortage after losing 334,000 accountants and auditors during the first two years of the pandemic.
The American Institute of CPAs has developed several remedies to help combat the workforce crisis, such as offering a flexible work-study pilot for accounting students and expanding the window for candidates to pass all sections of the CPA exam. States are also pursuing solutions, like new legislation introduced in Minnesota that would provide an alternative path to the CPA license based on a standard four-year degree.
However, some critics don’t believe that only addressing education requirements will be enough to address the workforce shortage and are also urging employers to increase compensation. Despite recent pay increases, accountant salaries haven’t kept up with the high cost of college tuition and wages for roles in competing fields such as finance, data analysis, or computer science. Read more from Bloomberg Law.
Texas expands state licensing reciprocity to help military servicemembers, families
Gov. Greg Abbott recently directed Texas state agencies to expand out-of-state occupational licensing reciprocity for U.S. military servicemembers and their spouses in Texas according to administrative changes established in Senate Bill 422.
In 2019, Gov. Abbott signed legislation recognizing out-of-state occupational licenses for military spouses who meet specific criteria to help them get to work faster. Senate Bill 422 expands the licensing reciprocity to servicemembers as of Sept. 1, 2023.
Gov. Abbott also directed agencies to implement any changes needed to comply with 50 U.S.C. § 4025a, an amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act that requires the nationwide recognition of most types of occupational licenses of servicemembers and their spouses when a servicemember relocates due to military orders. Read more from Texas Insider.
More news:
- In response to systemic problems revealed by mass COVID-19 deaths, the Biden administration said that the federal government will regulate nursing home staff levels for the first time. The proposed rules are being criticized by both industry associations who say they will worsen existing problems and cost nursing homes billions of dollars, and patient advocates, who feel that they don’t go far enough.
- Australia’s Senate Economics Legislation Committee has rejected the “Digital Assets (Market Regulation) Bill 2023,” citing a lack of detail and certainty. The committee said that the proposed legislation was not in line with international standards and recommended that the government engage in further consultations with the industry to develop more appropriate digital asset regulations for Australia.
- Arizona’s Regulation and Licensing Department recently announced that its communications director, Bernice Geiger, along with her husband, Mark, died on Sept. 3 in a car crash. Geiger – who served for more than 15 years at the department – was loved by colleagues for her wisdom and kindness, and was known among reporters for her professionalism and responsiveness.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- State regulatory processes are ripe for reform (Governing)
- Nurse licensure compact support swells as Pennsylvania joins (Modern Healthcare)
- A false solution for our workforce challenges (Governing)
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.
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