06/15/2018

House Hearing to Focus on Occupational Licensing

An upcoming hearing will focus on occupational licensing, reducing barriers to employment

While the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Ohio Society of Association Executives (OSAE) and other associations track a proliferation of state legislation that has posed a threat to voluntary certification programs, a House Education and the Workforce subcommittee has scheduled a hearing June 20 on occupational licensing and reducing barriers to employment.

There is no agenda or witness list posted yet for the hearing, but ASAE is closely following the state-based and now federal interest in exploring the prevalence of occupational licensing laws. In states like Louisiana and Missouri this year, legislation intended to loosen occupational licensing requirements has – in ASAE’s view – overreached into the realm of non-governmental professional certifications.

Though details are sparse as yet, we understand the goal of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development hearing is to explore the prevalence of occupational licensing and actions taken by some states to address perceived barriers to economic growth.

ASAE believes strongly that non-governmental professional credentialing is vital to America’s workforce, and allows professionals to demonstrate their professional capability and understanding of their field. In both Louisiana and Missouri, the encroachment into voluntary certification may have been unintentional, but ASAE wants to be sure that these types of professional credentials are not devalued. To that end, ASAE will be working with a coalition of like-minded organizations concerned about state certification/licensing legislation around the country and will keep the association community informed when there are developments that warrant attention.

This article was provided to OSAE by the Power of A and ASAE's Inroads.