Virginia approves universal licensure legislation

The General Assembly of Virginia recently approved a proposal to recognize out-of-state occupational licenses and work experience as qualifications for in-state credentials. The legislation, spearheaded by Senator Ryan McDougle (SB 1213) and Delegate Will Morefield (HB 2180), creates universal license recognition for 85 occupations licensed by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).

To qualify, the applicant must have held their out-of-state license for at least three years and be in good standing with that state’s board. Individuals seeking a Virginia license for a profession that was not licensed in their previous state can qualify with three years of work experience and an examination.

The new legislation removes the need for individuals to go through time-consuming and expensive licensing processes before being able to get to work. And it offers broader economic benefits as well. “Universal license recognition will assist in resolving worker shortages while at the same time benefiting consumers through reduced costs of goods and services,” Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement last week. Read more from Reason.

Alaska governor introduces bill to help licensed professionals transition to working in Alaska

Governor Mike Dunleavy recently introduced legislation (SB 83) to provide people who work in a licensed occupation temporary, limited license reciprocity so that they can begin working in Alaska sooner. The bill covers more than three dozen licensed occupations, ranging from barbers and hairdressers to pharmacists and nurses.

The bill will allow individuals with “clean licenses” in other states to work up to 180 days while completing final requirements for Alaska licensure. To qualify, individuals must hold substantially equivalent licenses in other states or in Canada.

This measure will benefit both employers and workers by reducing wait times, lost revenue, and frustration. “Making sure that qualified professionals who come to Alaska can get to work right away is important for both attracting skilled workers and meeting workforce needs,” Dunleavy said in the announcement.

France on the verge of passing stringent crypto firm licensing laws

The French National Assembly voted 109-71 in favor of legislation adopting stricter licensing rules for new cryptocurrency firms in order to harmonize local laws with proposed European Union (EU) standards.

If passed, the new law would require France-based cryptocurrency service providers to comply with stricter anti-money laundering rules, show that customer funds are segregated, adhere to new guidelines on reporting to regulators, and provide more detailed risk and conflict of interest disclosures as a means to strengthen consumer protection.

The stricter rules only apply to crypto firms that register from July onwards. The legislation does not apply to the 60 crypto firms already registered with the Financial Markets Authority (AMF), the nation’s financial regulator. These firms will continue to comply with the AMF’s rules until the likely passing of the EU’s own crypto regulations with the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) bill.

The French Senate has already passed the bill. It now goes to President Emmanuel Macron, who has 15 days to either approve it or send it back to the legislature. Read more in Cointelegraph.

Tennessee lawmakers want to remove DEI requirements from medical, social work fields

Republican state representatives in Tennessee recently proposed a bill (HB0571) that would remove DEI requirements from the education, training, and certification of medical personnel.

The legislation is intended to keep “harmful ideologies” out of “the practice of medicine and the education and training of medical personnel.” If passed, the bill will go into effect on July 1, 2023 and impact how colleges and universities admit their students, what students learn in class, and also how hospitals, counseling centers, and other providers operate.

The bill will force medical schools to use a standardized test for admissions and require admissions standards to be reviewed by the State House, State Senate, and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the governing board that oversees the state’s colleges and universities. The Commission and Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners must also certify that students enrolled at medical schools do not have “to study or ascribe to DEI ideologies within [their] medical institution of higher education.”

Regarding the licensing of medical professionals, the bill states that licensing boards “shall not adopt … any incentives or requirements that applicants for licensures undergo, demonstrate familiarity with, or support any DEI training,” nor can they “conduct internal DEI audits or otherwise engage DEI consultants.”

Individuals or institutions violating the provisions of the bill could pay more than $100,000 in damages. Read more from Campus Reform.

DPS sent at least 3,000 driver’s licenses to organized crime group targeting Asian Texans

Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw recently told lawmakers that the agency had been duped into shipping at least 3,000 Texas driver’s licenses to a Chinese organized crime group that targeted Asian Texans.

The unnamed crime group targeted Texas.gov., the state government’s central portal for Texans wanting to renew licenses, obtain driving records and registration, and obtain birth and death certificates, etc. Using personal information pulled from underground sources, criminals were able to correctly answer password security questions on the Texas.gov site and use stolen credit cards to order duplicate copies of active licenses. They then sold the licenses to people in the country illegally.

While the incident isn’t considered a “data breach” because no hacking was involved and vast amounts of data were not being stolen, McGraw admitted that the scheme laid bare a security vulnerability that “should never have happened.”

DPS officials declined to provide specific details on the investigation or the security loophole that left the website vulnerable to fraud but told lawmakers that it has been closed. The investigation into the stolen driver’s licenses spans at least four states, with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security now also investigating.

DPS first found out about the fraudulent activity in December and began notifying victims in letters sent out at the beginning of March. Read more in the Texas Tribune.

More news:

• Canada and the U.S. have moved forward with bans of TikTok on government devices. The White House gave federal agencies 30 days to abide by the ban, which provides limited exceptions for law enforcement, national security, and research purposes. The European Commission and the EU Council have also recently banned TikTok on staff phones.
• The Canadian Dental Association issued several recommendations to help inform the federal government’s approach to universal dental care, which is set to be fully implemented by 2025. The recommendations include using existing dental offices, addressing staffing shortages so people don’t have to endure long waitlists, ensuring that treatment costs are fully covered, and undertaking a survey on oral health.
• The Washington state senate unanimously approved legislation that will reduce licensing barriers by allowing accredited dental schools to request temporary licensure for faculty who have accepted employment at the respective school. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Also noteworthy:

Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:

• Who benefits, who loses from the occupational licensing system? (WBUR)
• What’s in Sununu’s plan to change occupational licensing in New Hampshire? (InkLink)
• Permission-slip culture is hurting America (The Atlantic)
• A state law was supposed to make getting a job easier for ex-offenders. Advocates say it’s at risk. (The Philadelphia Inquirer)
• Global crypto regulatory framework to be introduced soon – here’s what to expect (Coinpedia)
• Key lessons from the Singapore government’s ambitious whole-of-government cloud (GovInsider)

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.