Half a century ago, only 1 in 20 Americans had to obtain a government permission slip (a license) to legally practice their chosen occupations. Today, that number stands at 1 in 3.
This dramatic expansion of occupational licensure has created a bureaucratic maze through which entrepreneurs and employees must traverse to provide for their families. And without appropriate restraints on government’s ability to regulate, these policies have gotten out of hand.
When the Institute for Justice released a report finding that Utah had the 13th most burdensome licensure regulations compared to other states, the Libertas Utah team began developing model legislation to fight back and help reduce the bureaucratic burden on workers.
As a result of the reforms we’ve pioneered with our legislative partners and several other stakeholders, the state is now the 49th most burdensome! This reduction in regulation saves workers time, money, and hassle. It’s good for them, good for the economy, and good to get the government out of the way.
Our national team at Libertas Institute now is able to help other states adopt similar reforms and reduce their regulatory burdens as well.
Some of these reforms include:
- A reduction in the number of schooling hours required to get a license
- Exempting certain professions entirely from licensure
- Repealing licensure requirements and instead only requiring certification or registration
- Expanding apprenticeship and other opportunities outside of expensive schools to obtain licensure
- Reciprocal licensing to recognize people’s abilities and experience moving from other states or countries
- Reduction in barriers for people with a criminal past
- Expediting licensure avenues for members of military families relocating to a new state
- Creating an ongoing process to review licensure burdens and limit them to matters pertaining only to public health or safety.