The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
STUCK IN RED TAPE
As Arizona moves to ease professional license rules, Conn. regulations a tangle
In 2017, anywhere from 300 to 1,100 Connecticut residents relocated to Arizona, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Starting next month, there will be even more reason to do so as Arizona institutes the most generous standards in the nation for professional licensing.
Arizona will accept most professional licenses granted in other states for people who move there, provided those individuals have held those certifications at least one year, are up to date on all requirements, and have incurred no disciplinary actions.
In addition to building trades such as carpenters and plumbers, the universal licensing recognition law extends to physicians, dentists and other health care professions who carry exacting professional standards; as well as accountants, teachers and engineers. Professionals must still file an application with any relevant Arizona board to obtain approval to practice their trade there, but are spared the process of taking exams and other qualifying steps common in Connecticut and other states.
“Arizona’s sending a clear message to people across the country: if you’re moving to Arizona, there’s opportunity waiting for you here,” Gov. Doug Ducey said in a statement after signing the law in April. “There’s dignity in all work. And we know that whether you make your living as a plumber, a barber, a nurse or anything else, you don’t lose your skills simply because you moved here.”
As is the case in New York and most other states, Connecticut maintains a quilt of license reciprocity agreements that vary depending on profession and state of origin — most prominently, for real estate brokers who advise clients in neighboring New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with Connecticut’s reciprocity deals extending to 10 other states as well, including Florida.
“As international brokerages and real estate on the internet continue to grow, reciprocity between states is becoming more common,” said Jack Strong, chief marketing officer for SmartMLS, a multiple listing service based in Norwalk that covers most of the state. “This can be a beneficial arrangement for agents that are relocating to new markets or for agents that live near a state border . ... It can be complex as reciprocity and portability vary by state as do the requirements.”
Proponents of statespecific licensure requirements argue they represent a key element of consumer protection, though under former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Connecticut began winnowing its thicket of professional licenses, jettisoning certifications for fair vendors and sports agents among others.
But only in Connecticut are forest workers subject to licensure and the state continues to exert vigilance on other fronts as lawmakers deem necessary. Earlier this year, Connecticut nail and beauty salon owners balked at a legislative bill that would have set similar requirements for their industries that were put in place on the massage parlor business after intensified scrutiny of massage parlors as fronts for prostitution and sex trafficking, and reports in other states of those activities shifting to salons. The bill did not proceed to a vote.
Two years ago, the Arlington, Va.based Institute for Justice published a study of licensing requirements in the 50 states for just over 100 lowerpaying occupations, with Connecticut trailing only Rhode Island in the Northeast with 64 percent of its occupations subject to licensing, ranking 18th in the United States.
Across Connecticut occupations, it takes a year of education and experience on average to obtain a certification, the Institute for Justice calculated — actual ranges are far wider — with Hawaii the most stringent, approaching three years.
Since taking office in January, Gov. Ned Lamont has said he is open to cutting red tape as a way to extend a helping hand to small business owners, including in the arena of professional licensing. A spokesperson for the state Department of Consumer Protection told Hearst Connecticut Media that no major review is under way at present.
In signing the law last April, Ducey indicated he expected it to help Arizona’s economic development efforts by eliminating red tape for midcareer professionals thinking about moving there.
“It’s an Arizona original and should be a model for other states for how to work together and do the things that matter,” Ducey stated.
“As international brokerages and real estate on the internet continue to grow, reciprocity between states is becoming more common. This can be a beneficial arrangement for agents that are relocating to new markets or for agents that live near a state border . ... It can be complex as reciprocity and portability vary by state as do the requirements.” Jack Strong, chief marketing officer for SmartMLS