CAPITOL REPORT: REPRESENTATIVE PATRICIA PIKE Missouri House Approves Plans to Cut Bureaucratic Red Tape
JEFFERSON CITY: This week the members of the Missouri House gave their approval to two pieces of legislation that are meant to eliminate burdensome regulations that may prevent licensed professionals from other states from seeking employment in Missouri. The bills would establish a system of reciprocity that would recognize occupational licenses granted in other states.
HBs 1511 & 1452 focus on easing the burden for military spouses, who face considerable challenges when they move with their active duty partner. Due to state variance in licensing criteria such as education and training, spouses with occupational licenses struggle to practice their profession in states where they are not residents. Approximately 35 percent of military spouses work in a field that requires a license. The bill approved by the House would remove the barriers that impede military spouse licensure and allow them to practice their occupation as long as they hold a valid current license issued by another state or territory of the United States.
The bill’s sponsor said, “Passing this bill says to military spouses, we understand your dedication, your service and your sacrifice. We say we welcome you to Missouri and that, even if you’re stationed here only for a short time, we hope that you will call this home.”
The House also approved a broader ranging bill, HB 2046, that would allow for reciprocity for all individuals with a professional license from another state. The bill would require individuals to have a license for at least one year from another state before being eligible for reciprocity. It would also require the other state issuing the license to have minimum education requirements, work experience, and clinical supervision requirements. Additionally, the bill would require any out-of-state applicant to pass any exam that is required for those licensed in Missouri.
“It’s not just thousands of jobs we have in Missouri; it’s tens of thousands of jobs that we have right now available to be filled that our employers are looking for workers but they can’t find them because we don’t have enough skilled workers here,” said the sponsor of the bill.
He added, “I hope that this body will support the effort to make it easier for those who want to work to fill the thousands of jobs we have available right now in the state by allowing those workers to get to work, and that we will welcome America’s skilled workforce with open arms.”
Both pieces of legislation now head to the Senate for consideration.
State Capitol Goes Red to Support the Kansas City Chiefs – In recognition of the first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Missouri State Capitol will be illuminated in red on the evening of Friday, January 31. Gov. Parson made the decision to honor the state’s only NFL team as it prepares to play in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2.
“This is well-deserved for a team that has played an important role in Kansas City and the State of Missouri for many years,” Parson said. “Sports are a big part of Missouri’s heritage, and we’re proud to have the Kansas City Chiefs represent our great state in the Super Bowl this year.”
The Chiefs have been a proud Missouri sports franchise since 1963 when Lamar Hunt brought the team from Dallas to Kansas City. The Chiefs appeared in the first Super Bowl in 1967 against the Green Bay Packers. The team secured its first and only Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings in 1970..
Contact my office at 573-751-5388 or e-mail at Patricia.Pike@house.mo.gov for more information on legislative topics or assistance on State Issues, Flags, Resolutions and Capitol visits. Our office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. year-round in Jefferson City, MO.
