Wisconsin lawmakers pitch state-based immigration fixes for workers, students
A group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Wisconsin recently introduced three pieces of legislation that would change professional licensing laws and tweak the University of Wisconsin’s admission to make it easier for DACA recipients to work and learn in the state.
The first piece of legislation would allow DACA recipients to get professional licenses to work in the state, which is currently prohibited. The second piece of legislation would allow DACA recipients to get in-state tuition at University of Wisconsin schools, while the final bill will provide a non-refundable tax credit of $250 every two years to offset the $500 fee charged by the federal government to process the paperwork required to remain enrolled in the DACA program.
Proponents of the legislation say that the changes will help address Wisconsin’s workforce shortage and declining enrollment across universities. Read more from The Center Square.
Georgia Committee recommends changes to occupational licensing
The 2023 Georgia Senate Study Committee on Occupational Licensing wrapped up its examination of occupational licensing in the state with a series of recommendations designed to enhance efficiency, promote economic growth, and ensure public safety.
The committee’s 10 recommendations, which were outlined in a press release, include:
- Sunsetting licensing requirements for occupations, such as makeup artists, librarians, low-voltage contractors, and manicurists, where licensing has not proven necessary for public health, safety, or welfare.
- Moving towards universal recognition of out-of-state licenses where reasonable.
- Fully supporting the Secretary of State’s Modernization Initiative.
- Adequately funding the Board of Nursing and Composite Medical Board.
- Shortening the 90-day deadline for issuing an expedited license or a license by endorsement to 30 days.
After Ohio voters approve legal weed, Senate GOP moves to ban home growth and gut several provisions
Just days before Ohio’s new marijuana legalization law was set to take effect, Republicans in the Senate General Government Committee made substantial changes to the way that marijuana will be taxed in the state and banned citizens from growing marijuana at home.
Issue 2, the ballot measure legalizing cannabis for adult recreational use in Ohio, passed during the Nov. 7 election with 57% of the vote and took effect on Dec. 7. However, legislators are free to make changes to the new statute because it is citizen-initiated.
Senate revisions would prohibit marijuana at home, undoing the provisions approved by voters allowing Ohioans to grow up to six plants at home and up to 12 per household. The Senate’s proposal would also increase the approved tax on marijuana products of 10% to 15%, with cultivators also being taxed at that rate. Instead of tax revenue going to local governments that host dispensaries and a social equity program supporting those trying to enter the cannabis industry, which was called for in the original statute, tax revenue would go toward general state funding, law enforcement training, substance abuse treatment, and prevention and safe driving training.
The fate of the Senate changes remains uncertain, as they still must clear the Senate, House (which leans more in favor of overall recreational marijuana legalization than the Senate), and be signed off on by Gov. Mike DeWine. Read more from Fortune.
Florida bill advances banning past nonviolent convictions as grounds to deny cosmetology, barbering licenses
A Florida Senate panel has approved a bill that would allow an aspiring barber or cosmetologist with a past, nonviolent criminal conviction to be eligible for a license.
The legislation (SB 42) would mean a past nonviolent criminal conviction three years or older would not be grounds for denying a barber or cosmetology license. The measure – which was introduced by Democratic Sen. Linda Stewart of Orlando and won unanimous approval from the Senate Regulated Industries Committee – also allows the licensing board to accept credits from educational programs offered to inmates.
Stewart introduced similar legislation last year, but it was unable to pass before time ran out. An identical bill filed in the House by Democratic Rep. Kevin Chambliss of Homestead and Republican Rep. Rachel Plakon of Lake Mary also failed to make it through, but they have refiled the measure this year (HB 133). SB 42 will now head to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Read more at Florida Politics.
Health care leaders seek regulation, transparency for AI in health industry
Health care sector leaders urged Congress to pass regulations on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care at a hearing held on Nov. 29, citing worries over implicit bias, transparency, and patient privacy.
Witnesses said that Congress must consider the training procedures of generative AI technologies when crafting regulations to ensure equitable use of AI in medicine. They explained that because large language models must be trained on massive amounts of data, implicit human biases within that data could be “baked in” to the technology itself, which could result in discrimination against patients based on their demographics. To prevent this, Dr. David Newman-Toker, director of the division of neurovisual and vestibular disorders at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine neurology department, said AI systems should be trained on “gold-standard data sets”.
Witnesses and members of the subcommittee on health also discussed how AI could impact transparency and patient privacy, with Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) noting that safeguards protecting the privacy and security of patients’ data are “critical”. To ensure transparency, witnesses also encouraged telling patients when and how AI is being used in their health care. Read more about the hearing in The Hill.
Ontario initiates public consultation on proposed regulations for personal support workers
The Ontario government is soliciting feedback on proposed regulations related to personal support workers (PSWs) under the Health and Supportive Care Providers Oversight Authority Act (HSCPOA) and amendments to the Fixing Long-Term Care Act (FLTC Act).
The proposed regulatory framework, distinct from the traditional self-regulatory model, aims to oversee PSWs and other registrant classes. The framework includes pathways for registration requirements, a three-year transition period for legacy registrants, a Code of Ethics, a complaints resolution process, PSW representation on the Authority’s Advisory Committee, and a program for therapy and counseling for those alleging sexual abuse by registrants. The HSCPOA Act’s provisions for governing and regulatory oversight are not yet in force, and the proposed regulations are intended to provide support for these provisions.
In parallel, the Ministry of Long-Term Care is proposing amendments to Ontario Regulation 246/22 of the FLTC Act. These changes align with the proposed regulatory framework, ensuring consistency in qualification requirements for PSWs in the long-term care sector. PSWs can work in long-term care if they are registered, meet registration requirements, or qualify under specified exceptions. The proposed approach allows long-term care home licensees to decide whether registration with the Authority is compulsory for PSWs in their home. Feedback on both proposals is open until Jan. 15, 2024, to emphasize the importance of industry stakeholders contributing to the regulatory process. Read more at Hicks Morley.
More news:
- The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released a brief outlining why a digital accessibility coordinator position is essential for state governments. NASCIO Deputy Executive Director Meredith Ward said that making digital government services accessible is “more important than ever,” as nearly 40% of citizens over the age of 16 have at least one disability.
- Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced that his 2025 budget proposal will ask the legislature for $8 million to address behavioral health in the state. Specifically, he is requesting $555,000 for a review of professional licensing aimed at increasing licensing opportunities; $3.3 million for paid internships, loan forgiveness, and training incentives; $1.1 million to staff a new community treatment center in West Valley City; and $2.9 million for a rural receiving center and two additional mobile crisis teams.
- Sarah Ray, a long-term nursing care advocate who owns three long-term facilities, has been appointed to an Oregon state senate task force studying solutions to a serious backlog of recuperating patients stuck waiting in hospitals due to a shortage of long-term care facilities for them to go to. Part of the task force’s work will be looking at whether Oregon should join the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) so that licensed out-of-state nurses can immediately go to work in Oregon without going through a new licensing process.
- Several U.S. jurisdictions have recently implemented or are considering professional licensure changes for health care providers who offer telehealth services. The Alaska Board of Optometry’s final rule creating new standards for optometrists providing services via telehealth went into effect on Nov. 15, while Florida’s Department of Health issued a final rule, effective Dec. 7, to update its procedure for health care providers licensed in other states and territories to register with the department to provide telehealth services to patients in Florida. Additionally, Texas is considering proposed amendments that would provide clarification regarding telehealth practice requirements for social workers, and Washington’s Department of Health published a proposed rule that would allow a certified dietitian or nutritionist to provide services in person or through telehealth, as required by client needs.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- Wisconsin’s AI strategy: Upskilling, not displacing workers (Government Technology)
- Artificial intelligence & health care: State outlook and legal update for 2024 (American Action Forum)
- Do licensure tests predict future teacher effectiveness? (Thomas B. Fordham Institute)
- As digital government evolves, its mission stays the same (Government Technology)
- NCARB president Jon Baker reflects on his path to architecture licensure and how regulation should adapt to make the profession more accessible (The Architect’s Newspaper)
- Online betting in Australia turns over $50bn a year. It’s largely regulated by six people in Darwin (The Guardian)
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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