The Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act, which was signed into law this week in West Virginia, aims to alleviate shortages of skilled professionals like veterinarians. The new law recognizes professional licenses from other states and affects a wide range of jobs, including teachers and doctors as well as veterinarians. (WVU Photo/Jennifer Shephard)
Economics research from West Virginia University is being cited as a driving factor in passage of the Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act, which will allow licensed professionals to move to West Virginia from other states without having to recertify their licenses from scratch.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed Senate Bill 458 into law Monday (April 7).
“The Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act supports West Virginia’s economy by addressing labor market shortages, making it easier for business to find employees, for job seekers to find work and for consumers to find services,” Alicia Plemmons, assistant professor at the WVU John Chambers College of Business and Economics, said.
“Veterinarians, teachers, doctors and most other professionals licensed by other states no longer have to recomplete burdensome education and training requirements to come work here.”
Plemmons and her colleagues at the WVU Knee Regulatory Research Center compile data around job licensing, comparing laws across states and analyzing the effect of requirements, like exams, on outcomes, like quality of service. When state lawmakers requested a meeting with the Knee Center in April 2024, the team linked them with resources to help them evaluate the pros and cons of recognizing other state licenses.
“‘Professional licensing’ is essentially a government permission slip to do your job and it applies to many occupations, from health care workers to contractors to beauticians,” Plemmons explained.
“In ‘universal recognition,’ which West Virginia has now joined 26 other states in enacting, states recognize each other’s professional licenses just as they recognize each other’s driver’s licenses. Universal recognition places experienced, qualified workers into job openings quickly. It makes it easier for skilled workers to move with their families to West Virginia, and it helps military families stay together by removing barriers to work for military spouses.”
Almost all licensed occupations are eligible for universal recognition under the new law. Notable exceptions include lawyers, who are regulated by the judicial branch, and real estate appraisers, who fall under federal oversight.
The law mandates that professional boards grant licenses to individuals who have been licensed in another state for at least a year, assuming licensees can show they are in good standing in their original state, with a clean criminal and licensure history in previous states. They must also meet their original state’s education, examination, work experience or clinical supervision requirements. Licensees still need to pay state fees for licensure.
One critical consideration the Knee Center researchers included in the information they presented to legislators was West Virginia’s shrinking and aging population, now ranked third nationally in the share of residents aged 65 or older. The new law could help fill gaps across several industries, particularly in the health care field.
“Most of the people who are already in West Virginia are leaving the workforce, not entering it. And the fact that many people here are older makes our struggles with hospital staffing shortages more urgent,” said Kihwan Bae, a Knee Center research associate.
“Allowing qualified health care workers from other states to practice here more easily could help alleviate these critical shortages.”
Knee Center research also showed lawmakers that universal recognition could increase state tax revenue and improve the flow of workers into West Virginia at a rate of 11 more workers per 100,000 residents annually.
“The Knee Regulatory Research Center exists to support the WVU land-grant mission by serving the state and people of West Virginia. Our research shows that universal licensing recognition has benefitted workers and consumers in the other states that have adopted it, so we’re glad that we could provide legislators with helpful data to consider and craft this legislation,” Plemmons said.
Joshua Hall, Milan Puskar Dean of the Chambers College, agreed.
“The Knee Regulatory Research Center’s efforts to educate policymakers on the prevalence and effects of state-level regulations is a great example of how our outreach centers serve our land-grant mission,” Hall said. “While they educate lawmakers in all states, their work is extremely important in West Virginia given the Chambers College’s history of supporting the legislature in many ways, from economic impact statements to economic development policies.”
The new law will take effect July 1.
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