Senate considers career licensure
By Melinda Harrell
Published in News on February 13, 2017 9:57 AM
The North Carolina General Assembly is considering easing professional licensure requirements for members of the military and their spouses.
Sen. Louis Pate, District 4-R, of Mount Olive, is a primary sponsor to Senate Bill 8, which allows for a temporary practice permit to be issued to military spouses and servicemen.
"There are some professional people that hold licensure who may be part of a military family and coming into Seymour Johnson Air Force Base or other military bases, if they have been licensed in other states there should not be a long program in which they have to wait and take all the steps that are necessary," Pate said.
"It puts them in the workforce earlier and helps out their family, and it is just the proper thing to do."
The short-term permit will allow for service members or their spouses to pursue a career that they have already acquired a license in from a different state while they are awaiting official North Carolina licensure.
The requirements for gaining a temporary professional permit are that they must be in good standing from the agency the license is distributed; they must be able to demonstrate competency through continuing education or have had recent experience for at least two of the five years preceding the date of the application for the permit; and be currently licensed or certified in another jurisdiction.
In September, a few months after the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base change of command, 4th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Christopher Sage cited licensure as one of the reasons some service members and their spouses could not pursue their career locally.
Sage said that the a temporary permit would ease the transition from one base to another.
"Military families experience numerous challenges when transferring from one duty station to another," Sage said in a statement released by Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
"Many of our spouses come to Seymour Johnson licensed, certified and ready to work. The opportunity to obtain a temporary license upon arrival in North Carolina while they work to transition their certifications will ease their move and the burden on their families."
The bill also calls for the permits to be free of charge.
"We pride ourselves on being military friendly in North Carolina and it is one little step that might be appealing to some people," said Pate.
SB 8 is currently in the process of going through committee readings.