Just weeks after legislatures in two states passed measures addressing occupational licensing and the use of professional credentials, the issue arrived on Capitol Hill Wednesday, with members of a House subcommittee hearing testimony on licensing and its effects on economic growth. Lawmakers acknowledged the issue should be left primarily to the states to determine whether over-regulation is creating barriers to employment.
“Occupational licensing plays an important role in protecting consumers and ensuring high-quality service,” said Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development. “In many cases, it makes sense that a professional would be credentialed to operate, like in the case of a doctor performing surgery or a pilot flying a commercial plane. But in other instances, the need for a license is more of a stretch.”
Albert Downs, a policy specialist with the National Conference of State Legislatures, said the number of licensed professionals in the U.S. has ballooned to one in four workers.
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