State Department prepares to launch first-ever enterprise AI strategy
The U.S. State Department is gearing up to release its first enterprise AI strategy, which, according to chief data scientist Giorleny Altamirano Rayo, will help ensure the use of trustworthy AI as its data analytics capabilities continue to develop. Rayo said the department’s strategy will prioritize privacy, security, ethics, and equity in the use of AI tools, ensuring they are “trustworthy for the end-user.”
The State Department’s Center for Analytics recently published its principles for the use of AI, as well as an inventory of use cases for the technology, in a chapter of the Foreign Affairs manual. This chapter bears much similarity to a December 2020 executive order from the Trump administration which concerns the design, development, and deployment of AI in the federal government.
The department has also recently undertaken a project in which staff are using AI to analyze an archive of diplomatic cables and identify documents for declassification. According to Rayo, the AI tools, which use natural language processing to review the documents, have reached the same declassification decisions as human reviewers about 97% of the time. Read more at Federal News Network.
Montana nursing leaders advocate against eliminating CE requirements
A leading nursing organization in Montana is speaking out against a new proposal from Gov. Greg Gianforte which would eliminate all continuing education requirements for nurses throughout the state. Vicky Byrd, CEO of the Montana Nurses Association (MNA), said her experience in the field and personal research showed little to no public opposition toward nurses receiving regular, ongoing education in their careers.
Byrd said continuing education requirements, in a field where treatment protocols can change weekly, are crucial in maintaining a strong and competent health care workforce. Last year, the Gianforte administration received similar complaints from leaders in architecture and accounting over similar changes intended to reduce red tape for businesses. Opponents argued such deregulation could jeopardize public trust in their industries.
According to Department of Labor spokesperson Jessica Nelson, the Montana Board of Nursing voted unanimously to approve the change, citing similar rules upheld by the Board of Medical Examiners, which does not have any continuing education requirements for doctors to be licensed in the state. Nelson said professional organizations uphold their own continuing education requirements, which may make state requirements redundant. Read more at The Daily Montanan.
New Brunswick Court of Appeal greenlights investigation of nurse exam language dispute
The New Brunswick Court of Appeal has decided to uphold the Commissioner of Official Languages’ power to investigate complaints regarding a nurse licensure exam in the province. The initial complaint which led to the dispute expressed concerns about the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), alleging the exam was not properly translated from English to French and highlighting the limited availability of French language resource materials.
An investigation launched in 2016 by then-Commissioner Katherine d’Entremont found the Nurses Association of New Brunswick (NANB) had violated the Official Languages Act in its implementation of the NCLEX-RN. The NANB filed for judicial review, but after a series of discussions between the association and an interim Commissioner who replaced d’Entremont following her retirement, their application was withdrawn, and the issue of French language resource materials remained unresolved.
After the appointment of Commissioner Shirley MacLean, another complaint was filed which asked for a review of these decisions. The NANB responded with another application for judicial review, and an application judge ruled in the association’s favor, arguing the matter had been settled. Commissioner MacLean then brought the dispute to the NB Court of Appeal, which ruled in her favor, granting her the authority to investigate the complaints under the Official Languages Act. Read more at Canadian Lawyer.
Athletic trainers’ associations celebrate new licensing rules in South Carolina
The South Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association (SCATA) recently presented state Senator Katrina Shealy with its President’s Award for her support of the 2023 Athletic Trainer Act in the state legislature. The legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster in June, requires athletic trainers in the state to maintain a license to practice. It makes South Carolina the 47th state in the country to maintain this requirement.
National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) President Kathy Dieringer said efforts to secure licensure requirements in the state contribute toward the creation of safer standards in school systems and workplace organizations. Athletic trainers, who specialize in the treatment of muscle and bone injuries and illnesses, work not only with traditional sports teams, but also with performing arts organizations, public safety professionals, and the armed forces.
Advocates believe licensure requirements will help to better ensure competency among athletic trainers, who are at times tasked with providing emergency care for things like spinal cord injuries, sudden cardiac arrest, heat illness, and concussions. Under the new law, trainers will be professionally regulated by the Board of Medical Examiners, a branch of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Read more at Yahoo! News.
Pennsylvania DOS promotes new “Occupational Crosswalk” resource for military members
The Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) recently gave a presentation on its new “Occupational Crosswalk” tool, which aims to help veterans and service members transition into civilian careers using their military experience, to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Services. This comes as part of a larger departmental effort to promote the crosswalk – a resource comparing licensing requirements in professions regulated by the DOS with similar qualification details in nearly 300 military occupations.
DOS Deputy Policy Director Andrew LaFratte, who delivered this presentation and helped to create the crosswalk, first presented it during a research forum for the U.S. Department of Defense in April. In May, LaFratte appeared as a guest on a podcast series by The Council on Licensure, Enforcement, and Regulation (CLEAR) to discuss the department’s initiative. He pointed out that Pennsylvania is fourth in the nation in terms of veteran population, with nearly 850,000 veterans residing there.
The launch of the crosswalk was accompanied by a series of new rules regarding licensure for military applicants in the state. Act 35 of 2022 eschews mandatory educational requirements for military applicants to receive professional or occupational licensing, allowing them to be certified through work experience requirements and the passage of exams. It also includes other measures streamlining the licensing process for military applicants like fee waivers and expedited application reviews. Read more at The Daily Review.
More news:
- Iowa’s new Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing (DIAL) has begun consolidating regulatory responsibilities for professions licensed throughout the state. The agency’s goal, according to Director Larry Johnson, is to speed up the licensing process and streamline the credentialing process for applicants in every profession. DIAL will also oversee the merging of six different license databases into one system.
- The Connecticut legislature’s Regulation Review Committee recently voted to approve rule updates regarding continuing education requirements for electricians and plumbers in the state. The updated rules include provisions for online courses, which must be approved by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) commissioner and meet certain new requirements, including a 25-student cap limit and real-time audio and video access.
- The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) and the Counseling Compact are set to take effect in Missouri starting August 28, thanks to new legislation signed by Gov. Parson earlier this month. Advocates hope these measures will attract medical professionals to Missouri and help to address statewide work shortages. The law also makes Missouri the first state to enact the not-yet-active Social Work Licensure Compact, with legislation pending in several other states.
- Montana’s teacher shortage is expected to continue into the upcoming school year, with State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen predicting the state could see as many as 1,000 teacher position vacancies. The state, which pays the lowest average starting salary for teachers in the country, is considering several measures to address the shortage, including changing licensure standards in an attempt to give school districts more flexibility.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- The future of healthcare and AI: Revolutionizing medicine for humanity (Medium)
- Letter: Sensible AI regulation will amplify human potential (Financial Times)
- A look at the 2023 NCARB By the Numbers report (Architect Magazine)
- Send Michigan your licensed masses (Mackinac Center)
- Physical, mental health bills go into effect (Columbia Daily Herald)
- Louisiana forces hair braiders to get 500 hours of training. Some think that’s too stringent (The Advocate)
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
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