Eliminating licensing requirements for some professions in Georgia could help businesses and bring more people into the workforce.
“We did a national ranking in terms of occupational licensing, and we had Georgia coming in at 32nd with first being the worst,” Edward Timmons, director of the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University, which recently rebranded from the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation, told The Center Square.
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Proponents say a pair of proposed bills would cut down on the red tape facing providers of services that require occupational licenses.
House Bill 155 would provide a pathway for the spouses of firefighters, health care providers and law enforcement officers who move to Georgia to immediately secure an occupational license if they hold a license in their previous state of residence and are in good standing.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) on Sunday signed legislation allowing Ohioans who acquired occupational licenses in other states to utilize their credentials in the Buckeye State.
Eighteen states, including neighboring Pennsylvania, already recognize occupational licenses that their residents received elsewhere. For years, a coalition of free-market organizations, including the Columbus-based Buckeye Institute, have urged Ohio lawmakers to adopt the same policy to ease burdens on workers and make the state more economically competitive.Â
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A new report from several free-market think tanks ranks Ohio 35th out of the 50 states in terms of economic freedom.Â
The Columbus-based Buckeye Institute issued the Economic Freedom of North America 2022 report in collaboration with the Canadian Fraser Institute, the Puerto Rican Instituto de Libertad Económica and the Mexican Caminos de la Libertad. The study factors in government spending levels, taxation and labor-market flexibility when ranking all states and provinces across the continent.Â
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Ohio continues to lag behind the rest of the United States in terms of employment according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Job and Family Services.
The data showed unemployment in the Buckeye State remained at 4.2 percent in November, the same as the prior month’s level and a half a point behind the nationwide 3.7-percent rate.Â
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Advocates for occupational licensing reform successfully urged an Ohio House panel on Tuesday to unanimously pass a Senate bill to recognize professional certifications awarded by other states.
Eighteen states, varied in their politics and geography, already recognize out-of-state licenses for most professions, including neighboring Pennsylvania. These universal-recognition laws all require the licensee to have current permission to work in his or her state and have no pending professional disciplinary matters or disqualifying criminal records. Licensees remain subject to any fees or testing required by their adopted states.Â
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A coalition of free-market associations sent an open letter on Tuesday to Ohio’s state lawmakers encouraging them to enact universal occupational license recognition, meaning the Buckeye State would honor professional certifications issued in other states.Â
Message signers included leaders of Americans for Prosperity-Ohio, the Buckeye Institute, the Goldwater Institute, the National Taxpayers Union and Americans for Tax Reform. The organizations observed that the state’s population is declining and that it will continue to do so if pro-market reforms aren’t made to attract new workers, including universal license recognition. Numerous states, including Arizona and North Carolina, generally accept credentials obtained elsewhere by people moving into those states.Â
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Arizona took a nation-leading step into universal occupational licensing. A new study says it’s resulted in significant job growth.Â
In 2019, Arizona became the first state in the country with universal license recognition; if someone has a work license in another state, they can use that license in Arizona. Since then, 4,723 new work licenses have been issued under the law, according to a study conducted by the Common Sense Institute and the Goldwater Institute.
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A bill introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives would allow barbers-to-be to obtain the 1,800 hours of training as an apprenticeship rather than a classroom.
The Mackinac Center reported:
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Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) introduced the “Freedom to Work Act” on Wednesday – a bill to reform occupational licensing.
The Freedom to Work Act would require federal executive agencies to review their authorities, regulations, or policies that directly impose occupational licensing requirements or cause state, local, or tribal governments to adopt occupational licensing requirements. Then, those agencies would have to identify any changes that would either rescind or offer the least restrictive alternative to any occupational licensing requirements.
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One legislator wants to alleviate the burdens for individuals to obtain any licenses required by their profession or occupation. The bill, called the “Licensing Independence for Future Tennesseans Act,” or “LIFT Act,” would allow licensing authorities to issue licenses to those licensed previously. The act would create addendums within Title 62 and Title 63 of the Tennessee Code.Â
Specifically, the LIFT Act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history. Â
Specifically, the act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history. Â
Specifically, the act would require licensing authorities to issue licenses to an individual if they already have a similar license in another state for at least one year, haven’t had their license revoked or surrendered, don’t have unresolved disciplinary issues or pending investigations with other licensing authorities, and don’t have any disqualifying criminal history. Â
Since The Buckeye Institute first started publishing its Piglet Book in 2005, it’s recommended eliminating Ohio’s Motor Vehicle Repair Board. The Buckeye Institute, an independent think tank whose mission is to advance free-market public policy, issues a regular Piglet Book that analyzes “Ohio’s proposed biennial budget and offers savings for policymakers to consider as they debate the state’s two-year budget.” This year’s book again lists the Motor Vehicle Repair Board, saying ending it will save Ohio taxpayers about $1.2 million. “The Motor Vehicle Repair Board performs functions that the private sector already performs admirably,” the book states. “Consumers have adequate access to information on the quality of facilities from various sources, including the Better Business Bureau to Angie’s List, which make this state board redundant and unnecessary.” When it was first created in 1997, it was called the Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Registration Board. It was supposed to oversee a new registration process for businesses in the state that did five or more collision repairs within a 12-month period. Unlike some government regulations, it was businesses in the state who asked for the board and registration in order to address “chop shops” and “fly-by-night” operators. According to the Automotive Services…
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Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 255 (SB 255) Friday, reforming Ohio’s occupational licensing laws, some of which are considered to be the most economically crippling in the country. The law will require Ohio’s state legislature to examine every occupational licensing board in the state, assess their value and utility, then decide if they serve an essential function. If not, they will be disbanded. The legislatures have a five-year window to complete the examination. In addition, the Legislative Service Commission will review every future proposed board to ensure they are fair and not economically detrimental to citizens. The Buckeye Institute, a non-partisan, free-market think tank “whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states,” was the primary force advocating for and encouraging passage of the bill. Following it’s signing, Buckeye Institute Research Fellow, Greg R. Lawson celebrated the decision, stating: With the signing of Senate Bill 255, Ohio has gone from being one of the very worst states in the nation on occupational licensing to the very best…Through the extraordinary leadership of Senate President Larry Obhof, Senator Rob McColley, and Representative Ron Hood, Ohio can now rightly claim its place at the top of the list of states on occupational licensing,…
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