Sen. Tom Cotton (pictured far right) with U.S. troops. | Facebook
Sen. Tom Cotton (pictured far right) with U.S. troops. | Facebook
U.S. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and John Boozman (R-Arkansas) are co-sponsoring legislation that would allow military spouses with valid professional licenses in one state to have their licenses reciprocated in the state where their spouse is currently serving on military orders.
The bill would remove obstacles for military spouses to pursue professional goals when relocating to be together with spouses called away on military deployment orders. Military spouses working in fields that require professional licenses currently have to spend great amounts of time and money to obtain new licensure each time they move to a new state under military orders.
"Military families sacrifice so much for our country, yet military spouses face hurdles when seeking employment," Cotton wrote in an April 15 Facebook post. "Our bill will ensure spouses with professional licenses have reciprocity across state lines so they can pursue their careers uninterrupted."
Under this legislation, military spouses can qualify for licensure reciprocity as long as their license is in good standing and they are in compliance with the state’s licensing standards.
The bill would not overrule a states’ rightful authority to set its own licensing standards.
Rep. Mike Garcia (R-California) has introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
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