Commission for Interstate Counseling Compact holds inaugural meeting

The Compact Commission for the new Interstate Compact for Counselor Licensure convened for the first time in late October to adopt initial bylaws and rules to carry out the Compact. The Commission has also been tasked with creating an interstate licensure data system allowing for rapid verification of practitioners’ good standing and sharing of disciplinary information among member states. The Counselor Compact will streamline the licensing process for Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) only and does not include licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), or psychologists (who are covered under the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact). A separate compact for social workers is in the works but is currently in the initial drafting phase. As of August 4, 2022, the Counselor Compact now has 17 members and became active when it reached 10 members. According to the commission, the activation process takes up to a year or longer. Read more from Dickinson Wright PLLC.

Amid teacher shortage, Tennessee may drop major test for teacher candidates

Amid worries about teacher shortages, Tennessee is considering reducing requirements for some non-traditional candidates to earn their teacher licenses, despite concerns that the change could hurt teacher quality. In the first of two votes on a controversial proposal, the State Board of Education recently approved dropping the EdTPA licensing test for “job-embedded” candidates, who work as classroom teachers under the supervision of an assigned mentor while simultaneously pursuing licensure. Critics say the change could lower the quality of teachers in the state, and that revamping statewide licensure rules may not be an appropriate solution because current shortages aren’t across the board, but limited to certain districts, grades, and subjects. But others believe that eliminating the EdTPA requirement for “job-embedded” candidates removes duplication in the licensing process for these applicants and could meaningfully increase the state’s teacher pool. If approved, the proposal would take effect next September. The board said it will be gathering more feedback from teacher prep programs before members take their final vote in February. Read more in the Memphis Flyer.

Marijuana growers in mature markets call for license moratorium amid falling prices

Marijuana growers in more established recreational cannabis markets including Colorado, Michigan, and Oregon are calling on regulators and lawmakers to stop licensing new cultivation businesses to help cultivators struggling financially due to overproduction of flower and depressed prices. Oregon set the precedent earlier this year when it responded to overproduction in the market by issuing a moratorium on applications for producer, processor, wholesaler, and retailer licenses submitted after Jan. 1, 2022, which is set to last until March 31, 2024. In Michigan’s rapidly maturing recreational marijuana market, where prices have fallen as low, or lower, than those in older adult-use states, the state’s largest marijuana companies are calling on the state to issue a similar moratorium on new cultivation licenses, which would require three-fourths of Michigan legislators to vote for. In Colorado, where sales have decreased or flattened for eight months in a row, industry leaders are proposing a two-year moratorium on cultivation licenses and asking the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) to implement a tax holiday for the 15% excise tax imposed on wholesale cannabis. Despite these appeals, opponents say that artificial controls such as licensing moratoriums stifle competition and prevent the market from taking its natural course. Read more from MJBiz Daily.

Auditor warns licensing could drive away community health workers in Hawaii

The Hawaii Office of the State Auditor is warning that a proposed certification scheme for community health workers would burden workers and raise prices for consumers. The state auditor’s office examined the regulation of community health workers in response to a licensing proposal considered during the 2022 legislative session. The proposed certification would force those wanting to practice as a community health worker to pay a $1,000 fee and complete a university community health worker program or work 3,000 hours under supervision. In the final report issued in September, the auditor wrote that mandatory certification “could inadvertently force existing community health workers out of the field and make recruitment from underserved communities a greater challenge.” The auditor also cited a CDC report which concluded that “there is no empirical evidence showing that [community health workers] with certification perform their job better than CHWs without certification.” In lieu of mandatory certification, the Hawaii Public Health Institute, a non-profit focused on improving health and preventing disease, suggested that the state implement optional certification to allow businesses and individuals more flexibility. Read more from the Hawaii Reporter.

Architects’ association examines Ontario’s new proposed housing legislation

The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) says it will be closely examining the provincial government’s recently introduced Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act, to better understand the legislation and possible unintended consequences. The OAA has long argued for residential intensification in existing built-up areas, which it says not only lowers costs for new homeowners, but also offers more opportunities for Ontarians to be in their desired neighborhood. But it also notes that intensification should not come at the expense of existing environmental protections, saying that efforts to increase Ontario’s housing supply should both maintain quality and minimize sprawl into green spaces. The association will submit its findings on the legislation to the provincial government, including further recommendations to protect the public interest with respect to both housing affordability and climate action. Read more at Daily Commercial News.

More news:

• The Chinese government announced a new action plan that will support the development of innovative green technologies to tackle the country’s environmental challenges and help it become “carbon neutral” by 2060.
• A tenant advocacy group in Alberta says that introducing a landlord licensing program, which would include charging landlords a small fee to get annual home health inspections, would address concerns many renters have about health and safety in their homes.

Also noteworthy:

• Don’t ease truck driver licensing requirements, Humboldt Broncos families urge province (CBC News)
• Democratic governments are failing to leverage technology companies (Lawfare)

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