Bill
Would Help Professional Licensed Spouses Return to Work Sooner After
Relocation
(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by
Assembly Democrats Cleopatra Tucker, Troy Singleton, Timothy Eustace, Pamela
Lampitt, Lou Greenwald and John Wisniewski that would allow nonresident military
spouses to seek temporary licensure from certain professional and occupations
licensing boards upon moving to New Jersey was released Thursday by a Senate
panel.
The bill (A-3427) would
provide a “nonresident military spouse” an opportunity to seek a one-year
temporary licensure with option to apply for an extension at the end of the
year. Under the bill, a “nonresident military spouse” is defined as a person who
does not live in New Jersey, but is married to an active duty member of the
Armed Forces who has been transferred here as part of their service, is legally
domiciled in the state or has moved to the state on a permanent
change-of-station basis.
“This is an opportunity
for the state to help military families bridge the employment gap when
transferred and see little disruption in earning an income for their family,”
said Tucker (D-Essex). “In a year or two-year time, if the individual has
permanently relocated to New Jersey, this temporary license will give them time
to seek permanent licensure while continuing to make a
living.”
“Frequent relocation is a
part of military life. New Jersey understands that,” said Singleton (D-
Burlington). “The bill would help ease transitions for nonmilitary spouses with
licensed professional careers by providing an opportunity to continue to do what
they are trained for, earn an income and support their families.
“The legislation is
consistent with legislative efforts being made in other states across the
nation,” said Eustace (D-Bergen, Passaic). “New Jersey should make it easier for
qualified military spouses to maintain licensure and pursue employment quickly
after relocation.”
“A military family
depending on two incomes to support their household does not deserve to
encounter trouble in securing employment, especially, if the spouse is a
licensed professional,” said Lampitt (D- Camden/Burlington). “This bill will
help smooth their transition to New Jersey and make it easier to continue to
support their family.”
“The
sacrifices of our military troops are also made by the people who love them,
their family,” said Greenwald (D- Camden/Burlington). “Relocating often can be
hectic and disconcerting for many in the military. New Jersey should help
simplify the job aspect of the transition so they may continue to support their
families without too much interference.”
“Finding
work in this economy is hard enough. Doing so in a new state makes the process
that much more difficult,” said Wisniewski (D-Middlesex). “Relocating at a
moment’s notice is just one of the many sacrifices that our military families
make for our country. The least we can do is make the job hunt easier so they
can provide for their families as they settle into their new homes.”
The bill
directs the several professional and occupational licensing boards in the
Division of Consumer Affairs to establish criteria for the issuance of a
temporary courtesy license to a nonresident military spouse so that said spouse
may lawfully practice the profession or occupation regulated by that board on a
temporary basis, subject to the requirements of the bill where
applicable.
A nonresident military
spouse who applies for a temporary courtesy license is entitle to receive said
license, if, when applicable, he or she:
·
holds a current license to practice the profession
or occupation in another jurisdiction (the District of Columbia, a territory of
the United States, or a state other than New Jersey) that the board determines
has licensure requirements that are equivalent to those adopted by the
board;
·
was engaged in the active practice of the profession
or occupation in another jurisdiction for at least two of the five years
immediately preceding the date of application for the temporary courtesy
license, for which purpose relevant full-time experience in the discharge of
official duties in the Armed Forces or an agency of the federal government is to
be credited in the counting of years of service;
·
has not committed an act in another jurisdiction
that would have constituted grounds for the denial, suspension, or revocation of
a license to practice the profession or occupation in this State;
·
has not been disciplined, and is not the subject of
an investigation of an unresolved complaint, or a review procedure or
disciplinary proceeding, which was conducted by, or is pending before, a
professional or occupational licensing or credentialing entity in another
jurisdiction;
·
pays for, and authorizes the board to conduct, a
criminal history record background check of that person;
·
pays any fee the board reasonably requires for the
issuance of the temporary courtesy license;
·
satisfies the requirements of any law, rule, or
regulation providing for licensure by endorsement or reciprocity;
·
has satisfied any continuing education requirements
in the jurisdiction where that person holds a current license, and at the
discretion of the board, completes such continuing education hours or credits as
may be required by the board;
·
successfully completes a New Jersey jurisprudence
examination or any other examination as required by the board; and
·
complies with any other requirements that the board
may reasonably determine are necessary to effectuate the purposes of the
bill.
The revocation or
suspension of a nonresident military spouse’s license in the nonresident
military spouse’s state of residence or any jurisdiction in which the
nonresident military spouse held licensure will automatically cause the same
revocation or suspension in New Jersey if based upon a charge or commission of a
criminal offense, competency, or harmful or inappropriate
behavior.
A board may require a
nonresident military spouse who has not been actively practicing the profession
in another jurisdiction during the two years immediately preceding the
application to undergo additional training, testing, mentoring, monitoring or
education should it deem it necessary.
The bill was released
12-0 by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
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