Editor’s note: The Freedom to Travel and Work Act model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council offers a state-level reform that can broaden work opportunities and consumer access to services by ensuring licenses are recognized across state lines. Under the model legislation, the appropriate state board or other state license-issuing entity would be required to issue an occupational license or government certificate to a person upon application, if the following stated conditions apply.
1. The person holds a current and valid occupational license or government certificate in another state in a lawful occupation with a similar scope of practice, as determined by the board in this state;
2. The person has held the occupational license or government certification in the other state for at least one year;
3. The board in the other state required the person to pass an examination, or to meet educational, training or experience standards;
4. The board in the other state holds the person in good standing;
5. The person does not have a disqualifying criminal record as determined by the board in this state under state law;
6. No board in another state revoked the person’s occupational license or government certification because of negligence or intentional misconduct related to the person’s work in the occupation;
7. The person did not surrender the occupational license of government certification because of negligence or personal misconduct related to the person’s work in another state;
8. The person does not have a complaint, allegation, or investigation pending before a board in another state which relates to unprofessional conduct or an alleged crime. If the person has a complaint, allegation, or investigation pending, the board in this state shall not issue or deny an occupational license or government certification to the person until the complaint, allegation, or investigation is resolved or the person otherwise meets the criteria for an occupational license or government certification in this state to the satisfaction of the board in this state; and
9. The person pays all applicable fees in this state.”
Source: “Model Interstate-Mobility and Universal-Recognition Occupational Licensing Act (The Freedom to Travel and Work Act),” https://www.alec.org/model-policy/model-interstate-mobility-and-universal-recognition-occupational-licensing-act-the-freedom-to-travel-and-work-act/
