US and UK sign reciprocal architecture license agreement

Architects in the U.S. and U.K. will be able to apply for licensure across the Atlantic starting April 25, thanks to a new reciprocity agreement signed by the two countries.

The Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) allows National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)-certified architects practicing in one of the 55 jurisdictional licensing boards in the U.S. to receive licensure with the U.K.’s counterpart, the Architects Registration Board, and vice versa.

The agreement is modeled after previously established ones between NCARB and the architect licensing boards in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Similar to those agreements, the MRA has three main requirements architects seeking reciprocal licensure must meet. They must have: a valid license in their respective home country; lawful authorization to work where they are registered; and possession of an active and qualifying NCARB certificate.

NCARB approved the MRA at its 2022 Annual Business Meeting, but it is up to the individual jurisdictions in the U.S. to decide whether they will adopt it. Read more in The Architect’s Newspaper.

Manitoba government invests over $123 million in nine initiatives to retain and recruit nurses

Manitoba Health Minister Audrey Gordon recently announced that the government will invest over $123 million in nine initiatives to retain, recruit and support nurses, building on its commitment to end mandated overtime and add 2,000 health care professionals through the Health Human Resource Action Plan.

According to the press release, the investment will fund nine incentives for nurses, which include:

• A new hourly premium for nurses who work weekend hours.
• A new annual payment for nurses who hold the equivalent of a full-time position.
• Reimbursing the costs of nurses’ professional licensing fees.
• An annual incentive for nurses who are eligible to retire but choose to remain in the workforce for up to an additional two years.
• An incentive for nurses who have previously left the profession but choose to return to the workforce.

The minister noted that the province has already seen positive results from its strategic investments in health care, and that “more supports are on the way” as the rollout of the Health Human Resource Action Plan continues. More than 330 new health care providers have been hired since the plan’s launch in November 2022, including nurses, health care aides, physicians and other staff who provide bedside care.

Commission approves recommendations on how to pilot teacher licensure and pay reform in North Carolina

The Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission (PEPSC) recently approved recommendations on how to pilot proposed teacher licensure and pay reform in North Carolina. The proposed plan would overhaul how teachers are licensed and paid in the state by introducing various levels of licensure and corresponding pay, from apprenticeship to advanced teacher roles.

After PEPSC approved its final draft framework of the proposal at the end of 2022, the State Board of Education asked it to develop recommendations on how to field test the licensure reform. To do so, PEPSC created four working groups that looked at measures of teaching effectiveness, new pathway entry points, new professional learning tools and structures, and advanced teaching and learning roles.

Pilots of the reform proposal could come as soon as the next school year, but it is still unclear where they will be. Funding is another unknown, as the teacher pay raise called for in the proposal would require an appropriation in the state budget that will be developed this year.

The final recommendations were approved unanimously and will now go to the State Board of Education for approval at its next meeting March 1-2. Read more in a recent story by EducationNC.

Wisconsin governor asks for more staff to speed up processing of professional licensing

In a recent budget proposal, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers requested to hire more staff for the state’s Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) to help speed up the licensing process.

DSPS, which oversees more than 200 types of credentials for occupations ranging from nurses to barbers to certified public accountants, has faced complaints from people waiting weeks or months for professional licenses. Evers’ budget includes $73.9 million for DSPS in fiscal year 2024, a 21% increase over the current fiscal year. He asked state lawmakers to add nearly 80 full-time-equivalent positions to DSPS to improve various tasks related to licensing, including processing applications, customer communications, helping stakeholders navigate licensing requirements, and exploring licensing portability opportunities.

State lawmakers typically approve a budget before the new fiscal year starts July 1, but it’s not clear how many of Evers’ proposals will survive. Republicans control Wisconsin’s Assembly and Senate, and many have criticized Evers’ plan as fiscally irresponsible. Earlier this month, Republican members of a joint legislative committee ordered an audit into Wisconsin’s process for issuing professional licenses – a move considered hypocritical by many who noted that Republicans have repeatedly rejected calls to address licensing delays by adding staff. Read more from Wisconsin Public Radio.

South Dakota licensing recognition bill advances from committee

To help address labor shortages affecting occupations ranging from EMTs to teachers, the South Dakota legislature is considering legislation (SB 76) that would recognize out-of-state licenses in a bid to attract workers to the state. The bill is backed by Gov. Kristi Noem, who discussed the need for licensing recognition in her State of the State Address.

The legislation would streamline the licensing process for workers who move to South Dakota. “South Dakota consistently ranks as a low-regulation, ‘open for business’ state,” said Sen. Jim Stalzer, who presented SB 76 to the House Commerce and Energy Committee. “One of the only areas where we have fallen behind is in occupational licensing. The licensing recognition process in this bill simply allows people to receive a license without duplicating the training and education they went through in a previous state.”

SB 76 advanced recently with a do-pass recommendation. Read more about the legislation from South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

More news:

• Illinois state Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) is reminding constituents that his office is available to assist with problems with obtaining or renewing professional licenses, which are processed by the Division of Professional Regulation (DPR).
• The Minnesota legislature introduced two bills (HF 1749 and SF 1660) that would broaden the requirements for CPA licensure. The legislation proposes an additional pathway requiring only 120 hours of education and two years of experience, but it leaves the option open to go down the state’s existing 150-hour path (with one year of work experience) as well.
• California is considering legislation that would tackle the state’s dental assistant workforce shortage by opening licensure pathways and expanding the scope of practice for dental assistants. Sponsored by the California Dental Association, the legislation would streamline and shorten the existing 15 months of on-the-job training to 800 supervised hours; reformat the orthodontic assistant permit into a certificated course without an exam; and allow individuals who move to California and hold a certified dental assistant certificate to apply for RDA licensure if they meet certain criteria.
• A new report by the Goldwater Institute revealed that Arizona’s universal licensing recognition legislation (HB 2569) has helped more than 6,500 people receive licenses to work in the state since going into effect in August 2019.

Also noteworthy:

• Virginia charts a path forward on regulatory modernization (The Regulatory Review)
• Utah is in a mental health crisis. Why are some social workers opposed to easier licensing? (Deseret News)
• Some occupational licensing progress at state level (Econlib)
• Commentary: SC professional licensing reform key to a fresh start (Post and Courier)

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.