A white paper published by the UK government, "Integration and innovation: working together to improve health and social care for all," seeks to give government the power, through secondary legislation, to remove a profession from statutory regulation. The paper notes that the risk profile for a profession may change over time, such that statutory regulation is no longer necessary. The paper also seeks government power to abolish an individual health and care professional regulator.
February 18, 2021
Update: Utah removes licensing requirements for hair stylists only
Legislation has passed in Utah to exempt from licensing requirements stylists who only "dry, style, arrange, dress, curl, hot iron, shampoo or condition hair." Unlicensed stylists would have to pass a two-hour "hair safety program."
January 27, 2021
Utan bill to remove liccensing requirements for "blow dry bars"
A bill under consideration in Utah would eliminate cosmetologist licensing requirements for those that work at blow dry bars and only shampoo, dry and style hair. Workers would have to display a sign noting that they are not licensed.
January 06, 2021
US: Research on de-licensing of occupations
A paper presented for the American Economic Association looks at cases in the US from 2015 to 2020 where licensing requirements have been removed for certain occupations. The research was conducted by Dr. Edward Timmons of Saint Francis University and the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation and used CLEAR's Regulatory News blog as a source. The research found 35 cases of de-licensing over the past five years.
December 30, 2020
Arkansas: Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee report
The Arkansas Legislative Council's Occupational Licensing Review Subcommittee has submitted recommendations to repeal licensing for sprinkler fitters, people who sell motor vehicles and new recreational vehicles, and lime vendors. They also recommend that the Board of Physical Therapy evaluate its licensing fees, including a comparison of physical therapy licensing fees in surrounding states. The subcommittee plans to review 307 occupational licenses over the next six years.
July 15, 2020
Colorado governor vetoes private investigator licensure
Colorado's governor has vetoed a bill that would have continued the regulation of private investigators under the Department of Regulatory Agencies, claiming that occupational licensing "is too often used to protect existing professionals within an occupation against competition from newcomers entering that occupation.” Instead, he wants to work with lawmakers next year on a bill that will oversee the industry but not require full licensure.
July 02, 2020
Florida: Occupational Freedom and opportunity Act signed into law
Florida's governor has signed into law the Occupational Freedom and Opportunity Act. The Act reduces education requirements for auctioneers, barbers, electrical contractors, and geologists and removes some requirements for nutritionists, interior designers, landscape architects, nutritionists, accountants, alarm system installers and boxing announcers. A major component of the bill requires reciprocal license agreements if the other state's licensure requirements are substantially equivalent. The bill also prohibits license suspension or revocation based solely on default of student loans. Among other changes, the bill allows individuals to provide information, wellness recommendations or advice concerning nutrition without a license so long as services are not provided to a person under the care of a medical doctor for a condition requiring nutrition intervention and the individual does not hold themselves out to be licensed.
March 19, 2020
Florida deregulation bill passes House
An occupational licensing deregulation bill has passed in the Florida House and now awaits a hearing in the Senate. The bill would reduce education requirements for occupations such as auctioneers, barbers, electrical contractors, and geologists. Some licensing requirements for nutritionists, interior designers, landscape architects, accountants, and boxing announcers would be eliminated. The bill would also allow for reciprocal licensing agreements with other states under certain circumstances and would prohibit licensing boards from revoking a license based solely on default of student loans.
February 06, 2020
Florida deregulation bill advances
The Florida Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee has advanced a bill that would reduce education requirements for auctioneers, barbers and geologists and remove licensing requirements for nutritionists and boxing announcers. The bill also eliminates the requirement for local food trucks to be licensed by the local municipality, though they would still be registered with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A companion bill is being considered in the House.
January 09, 2020
Florida: proposed bill to prohibit local occupational licenses
Bills under consideration in the Florida House and Senate would prohibit local governments from requiring occupational licenses that are not already mandated by the state. The measure would take effect on July 1, 2020, and any current local licensing requirements would expire on July 1, 2022.
