Michelle Obama Calls On States to Reduce Regulatory Burdens for Occupational Licensing

Well, that headline is actually a little bit exaggerated, the First Lady is really only asking states to selectively educe the regulatory burden of occupational licensing for military spouses in this Baltimore Sun editorial.  Mrs. Obama raises some excellent points about how the process of transferring or renewing professional licenses in many states is burdensome and time-consuming. Because millions of Americans, not just military spouses, face those government-imposed occupational barriers to earning an honest living, I've done some editing below to expand Mrs. Obama's initiative to cover all Americans:

"For so many military spouses and other Americans, each move to a new state also means a return to a familiar government-induced headache: renewing a professional license.  More than 100,000 military spouses and millions of others throughout America serve in a profession that requires a government license or certification to work; that's more than one-third of military spouses in the labor force, about the same share of the general population that need a license from the government to earn a living.  So for teachers, nurses, real estate agents, eyebrow threaders, hair braiders, makeup artists offering classes, limo drivers, teeth whitening services, animal masseuses, flower arrangers, horse dentists, home decorators, accountants, physical therapists and many, many dozens of other kinds of professionals, a move can mean gathering old transcripts, paying new fees, filling out a pile of government paperwork, and sometimes even taking entry-level classes — no matter how many years of experience they have (we all know how inflexible some government bureaucrats can be).

It's a burdensome regulatory process that can take months, and should be reformed. And during that time, these military spouses and other Americans who move frequently can't practice their profession without permission from the government, even though there are jobs open in their new communities and companies desperate to hire them. That means their skills go unused while their families try to get by without the income they need due to over-regulation of professions in America. It means they are unable to advance in the careers they trained for — often for years, thanks to government licensing.  And sometimes, the regulatory hassle is simply too much, and these spouses Americans choose to quit the careers they love and choose new ones that are more friendly to a military or civilian lifestyle that involves frequent  moves. So it's no wonder that military spouses bring this issue up to me more than any other, although millions of civilian Americans face the same unnecessary regulatory challenges.

Luckily, this is an eminently solvable problem. Each state has the power to act on behalf of our nation's military families and other Americans who need a government license to earn a living. We simply need the will to do it. That's why, in February, Jill Biden and I issued a nationwide call through our Joining Forces initiative, asking all 50 states to pass legislation by 2014 to help make it easier for all Americans, including military spouses to obtain new professional licenses when they move. Since then, the number of states that have enacted measures to solve this problem of oppressive, onerous regulation has grown from 11 to 23.

Governors and legislators in these states have worked together across the aisle, because supporting American who unfortunately need a government license to work, including our military families, is something we can all agree on. They're coming up with solutions that work for their states. They're helping military spouses and other Americans who move get to work while they complete any remaining state-specific requirements. And they're doing it all without lowering their professional standards one bit — they're simply finding ways to account for the realities of military life and the lives of Americans who frequently move and need a government license to work.

So we've come a long way towards reducing the time-consuming occupational licensing transfer process. But we're not finished yet streamlining the licensing transfer process nationwide. There are still 27 states that have not yet enacted measures to address this issue of the unnecessary time it takes local and state governments to process licensing paperwork.  So I want to ask for your help.  Talk to leaders in your community about the need to reform occupational licensing.  Make your voice heard.  Do your part to make this issue a priority to help the millions of Americans who need a government license to earn an honest living and support their families."