California’s new licensing reform law is a step in the right direction, but state lawmakers should make it easier for workers of all backgrounds to move here – not just those who are the spouses of active service military.

Last month, Gov. Newsom signed AB 107 allowing active service military spouses to have their out-of-state licenses recognized in California. However, the law has two weaknesses: It only applies to a small group of workers, and it won’t go into effect for nearly two years.

Recognizing licenses for spouses of active service military members is a helpful policy reform. In the case of military families, spouses often lose the ability to practice their profession when the military moves them to a new base, as professional licenses do not transfer across state lines.

Continue reading at Southern California News Group.

 

Darwyyn Deo is an associate professor of economics at San Jose State University and director of regulatory frontiers at the Knee Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University. Follow her work @darwyyndeyo.

Edward Timmons, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Knee Center for the Study of Occupational Regulation at St. Francis University, writes frequently on the history and rise of occupational licensing and it’s relation to economic mobility.

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