HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1418

As Passed Legislature

Title: An act relating to evaluating military training and experience toward meeting licensing requirements.

Brief Description: Concerning evaluating military training and experience toward meeting certain professional licensing requirements.

Sponsors: Representatives Rolfes, McCune, Appleton, Kirby, Kelley, Zeiger, Seaquist, Finn, Haigh, Dammeier, Angel, Jinkins, Stanford and Smith.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Business & Financial Services: 1/27/11, 1/28/11 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/7/11, 92-0.

Senate Amended.

Passed Senate: 4/12/11, 46-0.

House Concurred.

Passed House: 4/15/11, 96-0.

Passed Legislature.

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Kirby, Chair; Kelley, Vice Chair; Bailey, Ranking Minority Member; Buys, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Condotta, Hurst, Parker, Pedersen, Rivers, Ryu and Stanford.

Staff: Alison Hellberg (786-7152).

Background:

The Department of Licensing (Department) regulates certain businesses and professions. Each regulated business and profession has a separate set of laws and separate licensing requirements. Some businesses and professions are under the authority of the Director of the Department (Director) and others are under a board or commission charged with regulating the particular business or profession. The professions that are regulated directly by the Department include auctioneers, cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, real estate brokers and managing brokers, real estate appraisers, court reporters, private investigators, security guards, bail bond and bail bond recovery agents, home inspectors, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, driver training school instructors, timeshare salespersons, and professional athletics licensees.

The following professions are regulated by a board:

• architects, State Board for Architects;

• engineers, land surveyors, and on-site wastewater treatment system designers, Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors;

• embalmers and funeral directors, Funeral and Cemetery Board;

• landscape architects, State Board of Licensure for Landscape Architects;

• geologists, Geologist Licensing Board;

Licensing requirements for these professions vary considerably. Some of the licenses require college level coursework (or equivalent) and experience requirements. These professions include architects, engineers, land surveyors, embalmers, funeral directors, landscape architects, on-site wastewater treatment system designers, and geologists. Other professions require some level of training or work experience to be licensed. These include cosmetologists, barbers, estheticians, manicurists, real estate brokers and managing brokers, real estate appraisers, court reporters, security guards, home inspectors, and driver training school instructors. Other professions might require an examination, a surety bond, minimum safety standards, or other requirements, but do not require that applicants have specific training or experience to be licensed. These professions include auctioneers, bail bond and bail bond recovery agents, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, and timeshare salespersons.

Summary of Bill:

Military training or experience is considered to satisfy training and experience requirements of certain professional licenses unless the Department or other regulatory body determines that the training and experience is not substantially equivalent to the standards of the state.

The designated professions are architects, cosmetologists, barbers, manicurists, estheticians, engineers, land surveyors, security guards, auctioneers, embalmers and funeral directors, real estate brokers and managing brokers, landscape architects, appraisers, court reporters, private investigators, bail bond agents, on-site wastewater treatment system designers, geologists, home inspectors, body piercing and tattooing licensees, camping resort salespersons, notaries public, driver training school instructors, timeshare salespersons, and professional athletic licensees.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) There has been significant work and studies done over the past several years to get jobs for veterans. This bill is an attempt to work with the Department to get highly qualified veterans into jobs and professions. This bill allows the Department to determine the best way to allow military experience and training to be applied toward meeting licensing requirements. This is also targeted at professions that the Department has some control over how to evaluate experience and training. A similar bill is working on Department of Health professions and similar work is being done in the higher education context.

The federal Department of Defense has found that state credentialing and licensing programs do create obstacles for veterans and their spouses to find work. This bill is really directed at those people who have the hours and experience and maybe a license in other another state. State licensing officials often do not recognize military experience. The military has programs in barbering, engineering, security guards, as well as many other professions. The military is trying to align military programs with private industry so it makes sense that states should be doing the same.

The military has already successfully worked with the Department to make it easier for those with the appropriate military experience to get a commercial driver's license.

People who are already qualified should be able to use the training they received in the military. In many cases military training and experience is superior to what is learned in other programs. There should be flexibility in meeting licensing requirements and they should not have to be met in a certain way.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Rolfes, prime sponsor; Mark San Souci, Department of Defense State Liaison Office; Gary Brackett, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber; and Steve Lindstrom, Northwest Career Colleges Federation.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.