This article was originally published in the Lima News.
Moving is hard enough, but right now Ohio makes it even more difficult for licensed professionals. Senate Bill 131 is a game changer.
Nobody enjoys moving. It’s expensive, it’s a hassle, and it throws you off your routine. But if you need a license to work in your field, moving is more costly.
Licenses are required by states, so when you move across the border from Pennsylvania to Ohio, you have to reapply for a license in Ohio. This may not sound all that bad, but the application process takes time and money — often months. And too often in Ohio, education and training isn’t accepted, forcing new residents to redo it, costing them hundreds or even thousands of dollars. That means after the added expense of a move, a licensed professional has to spend months without income. This isn’t easy for anyone.
In fact, research shows that licensing prevents people from moving. Licensed professionals are 7 percent less likely to move to a new state because of the bureaucratic hurdles.
