U.S. military members and their families make tremendous sacrifices for their country and to defend our freedom. State licensing boards need to stop insulting our military families by making it hard for them to continue working when they have to transfer to a new military base.
Three years ago, Hannah Magee Portée wanted to keep working using her school counselor’s license from Ohio and Missouri. Authorities in Texas, despite ongoing counselor shortages, refused to allow her to work.
Portée was one of the lucky ones. The Department of Justice filed a suit against the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and she is now allowed to work.
Unfortunately, Portée’s story is not unique. Fast forward to 2026 and there are still reports of military families facing unnecessary hurdles when they are trying to transfer their licenses. The Department of Justice has been doing what it can to try to get state licensing authorities to behave better. At the end of last year, two letters were sent to state licensing authorities.
First, federal law requires that states recognize out-of-state licenses for military families. Second, nearly all states have enacted some form of license recognition for military families.
One set of policies that is actually doing more harm than good are licensing compacts. Proponents of licensing compacts claim that they enhance mobility, but the sad truth is that most licensing compacts are not even active.
Continue reading at Stars and Stripes.
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
Economics of Flourishing
U.S. military members and their families make tremendous sacrifices for their country and to defend our freedom. State licensing boards need to stop insulting our military families by making it hard for them to continue working when they have to transfer to a new military base.
Three years ago, Hannah Magee Portée wanted to keep working using her school counselor’s license from Ohio and Missouri. Authorities in Texas, despite ongoing counselor shortages, refused to allow her to work.
Portée was one of the lucky ones. The Department of Justice filed a suit against the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and she is now allowed to work.
Unfortunately, Portée’s story is not unique. Fast forward to 2026 and there are still reports of military families facing unnecessary hurdles when they are trying to transfer their licenses. The Department of Justice has been doing what it can to try to get state licensing authorities to behave better. At the end of last year, two letters were sent to state licensing authorities.
First, federal law requires that states recognize out-of-state licenses for military families. Second, nearly all states have enacted some form of license recognition for military families.
One set of policies that is actually doing more harm than good are licensing compacts. Proponents of licensing compacts claim that they enhance mobility, but the sad truth is that most licensing compacts are not even active.
Continue reading at Stars and Stripes.
Edward Timmons
Edward Timmons, PhD, is Vice President of Policy at the Archbridge Institute. He leads the institute's economic policy strategy, identifying focus areas and disseminating work to key stakeholders and policymakers. His own research focuses on labor economics and regulatory policy; he is regularly asked to provide expert testimony to U.S. states on occupational licensing reform and the practice authority of nurse practitioners. Dr. Timmons received his Ph.D. in economics from Lehigh University and his B.A. in economics and actuarial science from Lebanon Valley College. He publishes a weekly newsletter on Substack with the latest research and policy insights surrounding occupational licensing.
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