UK and Australia move forward with plans to regulate crypto industry
The U.K. and Australia are moving ahead with plans to regulate the cryptocurrency industry. In a consultation paper released Oct. 30, the U.K. government announced that it will bring forward formal legislation to regulate crypto activities in 2024, saying it intends to bring a number of crypto asset activities under the same regulations that govern banks and other financial services firms. The government’s proposals include stricter rules for exchanges, custodians that store crypto on behalf of clients, and crypto lending companies. The U.K. also proposes stricter regimes for market abuse and crypto asset issuance and disclosures.
Meanwhile, Australia put forth a proposal for a new licensing system that would require crypto exchanges holding over AUD$1,500 for a single client or more than AUD$5 million in total assets to obtain an Australian Financial Services License. The license will be linked to various financial functions, including token trading, staking, tokenization, and token-based fundraising, potentially covering non-custodial exchanges. Crypto exchanges will be required to transition to the new system within 12 months once it takes effect in 2024.
More than 100 foreign-trained doctors apply to new licensing program in New Brunswick
A new program launched by the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons that aims to increase the number of foreign-trained doctors licensed to practice in the province has received more than 100 applications in its first month.
The Practice-ready Assessment program – which is offered through the Medical Council of Canada in nine provinces – requires foreign-trained doctors to undergo a comprehensive 12-week clinical evaluation completed by a practicing New Brunswick physician who is trained as an assessor. After this, they will be able to practice relatively quickly and must work in New Brunswick for a “return of service” period – the length of which has not yet been determined by the college.
According to Dr. Nicole LeBlanc, deputy registrar of the college, more than 100 internationally trained physicians applied between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31 to be in the first group of program participants. For now, 10 applicants will be accepted to undergo the evaluation, which will begin after assessors are recruited and trained. LeBlanc says applications will continue to be accepted for future assessments, but the quantity of assessors available is a limiting factor, as physicians are already “in high demand.” Read more from CBC News.
Commission could recommend lowering fees for midwife licenses in Texas
The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation will consider lowering the fees for applying for a new midwife license in the state or renewing an existing one.
According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), fees for an initial license would be reduced from $275 to $195, and the renewal fee would also be reduced from $550 to $390. If approved, a TDLR spokesperson said the change is expected to take effect Jan. 1, which is before midwives renew their licenses in February 2024.
The number of new midwife licenses issued in Texas as well as renewals decreased over the last two years. In FY 2022, there were 43 new licenses issued compared to 28 in FY 2023, while the number of renewed licenses dropped from 142 in FY 2022 to 101 renewals in FY 2023. Read more from KXAN News.
Nevada and Alabama make changes to cannabis regulations
Changes are on the way for cannabis regulation in Nevada and Alabama. On Oct. 24, the State of Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board approved licenses for six consumption lounges and began implementing changes to streamline the agency’s procedures, such as replacing cannabis establishment license numbers with identification numbers. The changes were prompted by Gov. Joe Lombardo‘s executive order directing all executive branch departments to provide a report explaining how its operations could be improved.
Meanwhile, Alabama is moving to implement new cannabis licensing rules that were adopted following legal battles in the state over the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s decision process. The Commission confirmed that it has rescinded 90 previous medical cannabis business license awards and denials in order to carry out the new procedures. The new rules retain the previous score results, but license applicants will be required to present to the Commission on issues pertaining to their applications and scores. The AMCC has stated that it is scheduled to award cultivator, processor, dispensary, secure transporter, and state testing laboratory licenses on Dec. 1, 2023 and award integrated facility licenses on Dec. 12, 2023.
Ohio lawmakers review licensing, certification requirements
In a new policy brief, Columbus-based think tank The Buckeye Institute identified 47 licenses that Ohio should eliminate or reform to help lawmakers as they begin to review occupational licenses in the state.
A state law passed in 2019 requires legislators to review and renew Ohio’s occupational licensing boards at least once every six years, or else they automatically expire. In the last four years, the state has eliminated or reduced the requirements for 55 licenses that follow recommendations from The Buckeye Institute.
In the third edition of the Institute’s ‘Opening Doors’ policy brief, released this week, author and research fellow Greg R. Lawson identified 27 licenses or certification requirements that could be eliminated and another 20 that could be adjusted to be more like those in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The brief also outlined actions the state could take pertaining to occupational licensing that would make things easier for workers. These recommendations include expanding the statutory definition of an occupational license (which would ensure more areas are reviewed), limiting continuing education requirements, and moving to inspections and bonding requirements to ease burdens. Read more from The Center Square.
More news:
- Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has sued Republican state lawmakers for blocking professional licensing programs, UW System pay raises, and conservation projects in legislative committees, saying the move violates the state’s Constitution and encroaches on executive powers. The lawsuit specifically cites the JCOER’s block of UW System pay raises, the Joint Finance Committee’s block of conservation programs under the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program, and the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules’ block of updated building standards and licensing standards. Petitioners in the lawsuit are Gov. Evers, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the UW System Board of Regents, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, and the Marriage and Family Therapy, Professional Counseling and Social Work Examining Board.
- Belleville, Ontario’s Loyalist College has become the first college in Canada to receive a license from Health Canada to work with psilocybin. The college’s applied research efforts will focus on two key pillars, safety and consistency, which Senior Manager of Applied Research and Innovation Carly Kelly says are especially important because the psychoactive chemicals of psilocybin are quite unstable, making it difficult to nail down dosages for clinical use.
- The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) has partnered with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to expedite the licensing process for pharmacy school graduates. Graduates will now send proof of graduation directly to NABP, eliminating a step and accelerating the licensing process. NABP will also electronically notify DSPS of passing test scores, automating the issuance of Wisconsin licenses. These changes, effective from Nov. 14, aim to enhance efficiency, reduce redundancies, and align with DSPS’s commitment to innovation and public safety. DSPS has been actively implementing improvements, including real-time updates on licensing through its dashboard.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- Daniel Radcliffe gets to be an auctioneer, thanks to licensing reform (Reason)
- From a blog to a bill: How a professional licensure law passed in Maryland, but it’s not enough (New America)
- Video: Hear CIOs talk digital transformation at NASCIO 2023 (StateTech)
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.
IN BRIEF
Digital leaders gather in Dublin: Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: Digital leaders and regulators to gather in Dublin, how SEC regs will change cryptocurrency markets, existing
and proposed federal AI regulation in the U.S., and more.
U.S. and UK sign agreement to test the safety of AI models: Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: U.S. and UK sign agreement to test the safety of AI models, Coinbase secures Canadian registration even as U.S. regulatory troubles persist, lawyer who raised ‘boys’ club’ concerns over judgment accused of misconduct, and more.
Muted modernization for the regulation of BC legal practitioners: Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: Muted modernization for the regulation of BC legal practitioners, federal agencies issue new warning about DDoS attacks, how Europe’s regulatory battle with Apple could signal what’s to come for American customers, and more.
European government announces plan for independent football regulator: Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: UK’s plans for an independent Football Regulator, calls in Canada for regulation to protect young people from tobacco products, and Premier Doug Ford’s demands for the removal of regulatory barriers and the elimination of the carbon tax.
Scholar proposes a new US regulatory system that would be more accountable to the public: Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: Scholar proposes a new US regulatory system that would be more accountable to the public, Hong Kong’s Central Bank starts regulatory sandbox for stablecoin issuers, EU parliament greenlights landmark artificial intelligence regulations, and more.
Alberta counsellors to become regulated under psychologists’ college in proposed changes – Weekly regulatory news
The Week in Brief is your weekly snapshot of regulatory news and what's happening in the world of professional licensing, government technology, and public policy.
This week in regulatory news: Alberta counsellors to become regulated under psychologists’ college in proposed changes, ICO takes regulatory action against five public authorities under the FOI Act, US executive order will address brokers’ sensitive data transfers to ‘countries of concern’, and more.
