Gives military spouses with valid professional licenses in one state reciprocity in the state where their spouse is currently serving
WASHINGTON, D.C.– Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) joined Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and 21 other senators in introducing the bipartisan Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act. The legislation gives military spouses with valid professional licenses in one state reciprocity in the state where their spouse is currently serving on military orders.
“In Wyoming, we recognize the sacrifice that our service members and their families make every day,” said Barrasso. “Military families often move every two to three years. The last thing they need to worry about is spending time and money trying to maintain their careers in a new state. Our bipartisan bill will make it easier for military spouses to transition the professional licenses they’ve already worked hard to obtain when they move to a new duty station.”
The Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) of 2003 to require states to recognize servicemembers’ spouses’ occupational license from another state if the servicemember and the servicemember’s spouse move across state lines on account of a Permanent Change of Station order.
SCRA already provides a number of protections for active duty servicemembers and their families, including rental agreements, civil judicial proceedings, installment contracts, and credit card and mortgage interest rates. This legislation would not preempt state law on how the licenses are used, as military spouses would still be required to comply with standards of practice, discipline, and continuing education requirements.
In addition to Lee and Barrasso, the following senators cosponsored the bill: Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Martha McSally (R-AZ), John Boozman (R-AR), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Kelly Loeffler (R-GA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), James Risch (R-ID), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Mike Braun (R-IN), Mitt Romney (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Thune (R-SD), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Hoeven (R-ND), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
You can read a full copy of the bill here.
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