Wisconsin and Michigan licensing agencies partner to improve data sharing
The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) and Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) recently announced an agreement to improve data sharing and speed up professional license approvals in both states.
The new arrangement will automate the secure exchange of required documentation for license applications between Wisconsin and Michigan, eliminating the associated manual tasks and speeding up the approval of licenses. The agreement followed a two-day interstate occupational licensing summit that brought together officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio to discuss important issues in occupational licensing regulation.
DSPS Secretary-designee Dan Hereth called the agreement “just the first step toward more comprehensive, automated data sharing among states with the goal of greater efficiency and data security,” and said that Wisconsin will continue seeking new partnerships to enhance licensing operations in the state. Read more from WisPolitics.
Nurses with multi-state licenses will soon be able to practice in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has taken the first step in implementing the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) by allowing nurses who hold multistate licenses issued by 40 other compact states and territories to practice in Pennsylvania beginning Sept. 5. The move will help address Pennsylvania’s severe nursing shortage and increase health care access for patients.
Pennsylvania joined the NLC in 2021 with Act 68. When fully implemented, Pennsylvania’s State Board of Nursing will be able to issue NLC multistate licenses to Pennsylvania nurses, allowing them to practice in compact member states and territories.
But there is still work to do before that can happen. The Department of State is working diligently with state and federal partners, such as the FBI, to satisfy the pre-conditions necessary for full implementation, which include certifying to other compact states that the nursing board has performed an FBI criminal background check on Pennsylvania applicants. Read more from abc27 News.
Governments crack down on fashion industry amid allegations of forced labor and abuse
Governments are beginning to crack down on fashion brands as forced labor, child labor, poor working conditions, and other abuses continue to run rampant throughout the cotton industry in many parts of the world.
According to the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index by activist movement Fashion Revolution, $468 billion of garment imports in the G20 are at risk of modern slavery, equivalent to a third of goods imports in these countries. The report found that just 23% of brands disclose the prevalence of modern slavery-related violations and risk factors in their supply chains.
The poor industry record of tracking and responding to these abuses is leading governments to force change. Following allegations of state-imposed forced labor and mistreatment of Uyghur Muslims that was described as “crimes against humanity” by a U.N. report, the U.S. passed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) to ban all goods from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), which is responsible for 20% of the world’s cotton production. The legislation also requires brands to provide evidence that their goods do not contain any element that may have been made with forced labor.
The European Union is following suit with a proposed Ban on Forced Labor Regulation, and the planned EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Additionally, individual countries – such as Germany, Norway, and France – are also taking action with their own legislation. Read the full story from Reuters.
Connecticut will soon require licensure and reporting for pharmaceutical sales reps
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont recently signed legislation establishing new licensure and reporting requirements for pharmaceutical marketing firms.
Beginning Oct. 1, pharmaceutical manufacturers that employ pharmaceutical sales representatives are required to register with the Department of Consumer Protection as a pharmaceutical marketing firm. Registrations must be renewed each year and companies are required to provide a list of all individuals employed as a pharmaceutical sales representative at the time of renewal. The list of current pharmaceutical sales representatives employed by each firm will be published online by the Department.
In addition to registering, pharmaceutical marketing firms must also comply with new reporting requirements starting July 1, 2024. Each year, they must provide the Department with specific information for each of their pharmaceutical sales representatives, including the aggregate number of contacts they have had with prescribing practitioners and pharmacists; whether any product samples, materials, or gifts of any value were provided to a prescribing practitioner, their staff, or a prescribing pharmacist; and an aggregate report of all free samples provided.
The Department will use this information to compile a report on the activities of pharmaceutical sales representatives in Connecticut, which will be posted online by Dec. 1, 2024 (and every year thereafter). Read more about the new rules in Policy & Medicine.
New laws affecting Texas’ licensing agency take effect Sept. 1
New laws affecting the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) and its licensees are slated to go into effect on Sept. 1.
TDLR is working on adopting new rules required for the legislative changes to be implemented. The public will also have an opportunity to provide comment and feedback during the rulemaking process at TDLR advisory board meetings.
Notable new laws impacting TDLR include:
- SB 1414 attaches the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (TBVME) to TDLR for the next four years, during which time TBVME will serve as an advisory board to TDLR, and TDLR will provide TBVME with policy-making and administrative oversight and support.
- HB 3579 allows TDLR’s executive director to issue an emergency order halting the operation of any massage establishment if the agency or law enforcement believes human trafficking is occurring there.
- SB 1001 creates a regulatory framework for electric vehicle charging stations, tasking TDLR with inspecting charging stations and making rules for the installation and operation of electric vehicle supply equipment.
Read more about the new laws from Focus Daily News.
More news:
- New Hampshire’s Board of Mental Health Practice is moving to implement legislation that will change mental health licensing in New Hampshire and help address the state’s shortage of mental health professionals. The board approved the draft language for the new regulations on Aug. 18, but they will need to go through public comment and legislative approval before being finalized.
- The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, the independent disciplinary body for solicitors in the U.K., issued a statement opposing a proposed change that would give the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) unlimited fining powers beyond its current threshold of £25,000. The SRA said recently that greater powers are needed to deter wrongdoing and that the alternative of using the tribunal process takes too long.
- The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD) announced it has hired a cannabis industry veteran from Colorado to lead the state’s Cannabis Control Division (CCD). Todd Stevens brings nearly a decade of experience working for one of Colorado’s largest vertically integrated medical and adult-use cannabis operators to CCD.
Also noteworthy:
Interesting opinion, commentary, and analysis from the web:
- Legislation that impacts nurses in 2023, state and national list (Nurse.org)
- White House science adviser calls for more safeguards against artificial intelligence risks (Associated Press)
- Start preparing for AI regulatory compliance now (Forbes)
- Crypto regulation: How the world is addressing the issue? (The Market Periodical)
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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