Plan would make getting professional licenses easier
Several influential business organizations have lined up their support for a legislative priority of Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in 2024 intended to reduce barriers for small business owners and workers who require professional licenses to work in several dozen types of jobs in Georgia.
Jones last week unveiled the initiative with the support of the business community and the GOP Senate Caucus. He said it will streamline the licensing process for jobs from general contracting to truck driving and give lawmakers more control over state and local business regulations.
Jones’ small business plan has the support of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Food Truck Association of Georgia and the National Federation of Independent Business, a small business association.
Under Jones’ legislative plan to loosen regulatory constraints, the threshold for what is considered a small business in Georgia would expand from 100 to 300 employees, increasing the opportunity for hundreds of more businesses to receive incentives like tax relief and loan guarantees while also relaxing reporting requirements.
During next year’s session, the Butts County Republican said he also wants to push the General Assembly to request an economic analysis of how proposed legislation and government regulations affect small businesses.
Jones said his goal is to build on Georgia’s strong business reputation by protecting small business owners from excessive rules and paperwork typically required at the state and local levels.
“We are looking at ways to help businesses reduce burdens of regulations and ways to remove as much red tape as possible during the legislative process,” Jones said during a news conference at the Capitol.
CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS
One of the key measures the Senate Majority Caucus will try to get across the finish line in 2024 is Senate Bill 157, which eliminates barriers to employment, particularly for those with criminal backgrounds seeking jobs such as cosmetologist, barber, engineer, librarian and contractor in Georgia that require professional licenses.
The measure, sponsored by McDonough Republican Sen. Brian Strickland, passed the Senate chamber unanimously in 2023 before stalling in the House.
An occupational board grants licenses to hundreds of thousands of Georgians who meet standards based on education and prior experience, passing certification exams and passing background checks. Georgia’s licensing boards are overseen by the Georgia Secretary of State, which has also created a commission aimed at simplifying the process this year.
The Georgia Justice Project has said it’s a too common occurrence for a licensing applicant to be disqualified due to a conviction unrelated to the field in which they are seeking work.
Overall, the more than 40 professions that require occupational licenses represent one of out seven jobs in Georgia.
Perry Republican Sen. Larry Walker III, chair of the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee, said Georgia is experiencing a significant workforce shortage in nursing and other health care professions in part because of the bureaucracy of licensing boards.
Among the options his Senate committee is considering are reducing costs and the length of time it takes to obtain a license and adopting universal standards that make it easier to transfer licenses from another state.
“The government has to have a compelling reason for professional licenses — public safety and consumer protection advocacy,” Walker said.
Other states — including Arkansas, Maryland, Massachusetts and Tennessee — have passed laws supporting what the National Employment Law Project refers to as “fair chance licensing,” which reforms laws that impose obstacles in fastgrowing careers such as health care, education and transportation.
“We are looking at ways to help businesses reduce burdens of regulations and ways to remove as much red tape as possible during the legislative process.”
— REPUBLICAN LT. GOV. BURT JONES