United WE works to reduce barriers that disproportionately affect women, including state licensing requirements. Our research shows that when professional licensing requirements can’t be transferred from state-to-state, women and military families bear the brunt.

OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING & WOMEN IN MISSOURI POLICY BRIEF

Commissioned by United WE and sponsored by CommunityAmerica Credit Union, the policy brief updates previous research conducted in 2016 with new information concerning professional licensing.

Occupational licensing protects the safety and well-being of the public, however, it can create unnecessary barriers for women entrepreneurs by restricting entry and re-entry into professions, reducing employment, and creating economic inequity.  

Because women are more likely to work in occupations that are licensed and are more likely to earn less than men, the economic barriers to entry are more severe for women in the workforce.

VIEW THE FULL 2022 POLICY BRIEF HERE.
VIEW THE FULL2016 POLICY BRIEF HERE.

The Importance of Reciprocity

For decades, occupations like nursing, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and cosmetology have required licensure as a means of protecting the public. Because occupational licensing regulations are enforced and controlled by each state throughout the nation, there are varying requirements and qualifications. 

This makes reciprocity, the policy and process of accepting an individual’s license from another state, difficult due to significant disparities among state requirements. Occupational licensing is an important issue United WE works to improve, with accomplishments including:

• In 2021, United WE supported the passage of House Bill 2066. HB 2066 expands the existing law to make it easier for military spouses from other states to use their professional licenses in Kansas by expediting key elements of the licensing process. To read HB 2066, click here.

• In 2020, United WE hailed Governor Parson's signing of HB 1511 and HB 1452, which would allow military spouses to move to Missouri without losing their professional licenses from other states. 

• In 2018, United WE worked with the General Assembly to pass SB 843, which waived licensing fees for military families and low-income Missourians. 

• United WE also supported passage of legislation to allow those seeking to pursue a career in hair braiding to complete an online video and obtain a certificate of registration.

• Click here to see United WE’s full research report on occupational licensing