Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.WASHINGTON — Moving across state lines can mean jumping through familiar hoops for a nurses, teachers and other professionals who have to apply for their licenses all over again.
That can be especially vexing for those married to military service members, who frequently have to relocate as their changing assignments take them from base to base.
The long-standing issue for military families is about to receive more attention as first lady Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, and top military leaders are set to unveil a new report on the topic Wednesday.
Obama and Biden last year created the Joining Forces initiative to rally individuals, businesses and various institutions to provide greater support for military families. The report shines a spotlight on the license portability issue.
The spouses of military members are 10 times more likely to have moved across state lines in the past year than those in civilian families, and more than 100,000 military spouses require professional licenses or certifications, according to a preview of the report provided by Obama administration officials.
Teaching, child care and nursing are the three most common occupations for military spouses — areas that typically require some form of license or certification.
The report says the civilian spouse's employment is a major factor in the well-being of military families and retention of service members. It includes some advice for states on how to address the issue.
For example, it urges states to endorse a military spouse's current license from another state as long as the states have substantially equivalent requirements for a license.
The report also recommends offering a temporary license to spouses while they are getting their paperwork together for a permanent license and finding ways to expedite the application process for military spouses.
According to the report, 11 states already have adopted laws supporting license portability, and 13 others are considering legislation that would "positively impact military spouses."
Those 13 states include Nebraska, where State Sen. Amanda McGill of Lincoln has proposed legislation that would make it easier for military spouses to get occupational licenses.
Iowa has no such laws on the books or under consideration, according to the White House.
Resistance to such proposals tends to come from concerns that loosening licensing requirements will dilute a state's standards and harm its ability to protect the public.
Those backing the changes, however, say they can be accomplished in a responsible way.
The Joining Forces initiative will make its pitch for state action on the licensing issue at an upcoming National Governors Association meeting in Washington.
Contact the writer:
202-630-4823, joe.morton@owh.com
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
