PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2113
PRINTER'S NO. 2228
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1868
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY MAKO, HICKERNELL, WHEATLEY, BOBACK, SAINATO,
RIGBY, DELLOSO, SCHMITT, N. NELSON, KINSEY, HENNESSEY,
McNEILL, HILL-EVANS, POLINCHOCK, JAMES, MOUL, MILLARD,
SOLOMON, KERWIN, CIRESI, BERNSTINE, HOWARD, HAMM, R. BROWN,
FITZGERALD, SCHLEGEL CULVER, PISCIOTTANO, NEILSON AND
MENTZER, SEPTEMBER 15, 2021
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 4, 2021
AN ACT
Amending Title 63 (Professions and Occupations (State Licensed))
of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adding provisions
relating to veterans' licensure by providing for
representation on licensing boards, for expedited license,
for military experience in place of education criteria, for
expedited temporary license, for relevant military
experience, for renewal of license for deployed
servicemembers, for fees and for reports.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 63 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 33
VETERANS' LICENSURE
Sec.
3301. Definitions.
3302. Representation on licensing boards.
3303. Expedited license.
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3304. Military experience in place of education criteria.
3305. Expedited temporary license.
3306. Relevant military experience.
3307. Renewal of license for deployed servicemembers.
3308. Fees.
3309. Reports.
§ 3301. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Bureau." The Bureau of Professional and Occupational
Affairs in the Department of State.
"License." A registration , permit, certificate or license
issued by a licensing board.
"Licensing board." A departmental or administrative board or
commission under the bureau.
"Military Occupational Codes Crosswalk." A module created by
a licensing board to provide guidance when evaluating
servicemembers' and veterans' applications for licensure to
identify skills, experience, credentials and education that have
been obtained in the military and crosswalking those skills,
experience, credentials and education into substitute licensure
requirements.
"Military spouse." The spouse of a servicemember or veteran.
The term includes an unmarried spouse of a deceased
servicemember where the servicemember died one year before
WITHIN ONE YEAR PRIOR TO the date an application for a license
is submitted to a licensing board.
"Qualified applicant." A servicemember, veteran or military
spouse WHO HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION for a license.
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"Servicemember." An active duty member of the armed forces
of the United States, a reserve component or the national guard
of a state.
"Veteran." A former servicemember who was discharged from
active duty under circumstances other than dishonorable.
§ 3302. Representation on licensing boards.
The Governor shall provide preference to and strive to
achieve the goal of one servicemember, veteran or military
spouse serving on a EACH licensing board in this Commonwealth.
The servicemember, veteran or military spouse shall be a public
member of the licensing board and not an elected or appointed
member .
§ 3303. Expedited license.
(a) Application question.--A licensing b oard shall include a
question on applications for licensure, renewal and reactivation
whether the individual submitting the application is a
servicemember, veteran or military spouse.
(b) Processing.--If an applicant is deemed as a qualified
applicant, the licensing board shall:
(1) Request that the qualified applicant submit
documentation to the licensing board demonstrating status as
a servicemember, veteran or military spouse.
(2) Upon submission, expedite the processing of the
application.
§ 3304. Military experience in place of education criteria.
A licensing board shall issue a license to a qualified
applicant who does not meet the educational requirements for the
license so long as the qualified applicant:
(1) Submits an application and fee as prescribed by the
board by regulation.
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(2) Passes all exams required for licensure.
(3) Has completed a military program and was awarded a
military occupational specialty.
(4) Performed in that occupational specialty at a level
that is substantially equivalent to the academic requirements
for the license that the qualified applicant applied.
(5) Has engaged in active practice for at least two of
the previous five years before submitting the application. A
qualified applicant's relevant military service experience of
the qualified applicant's official duties must be credited in
the calculation of the number of years the qualified
applicant has practiced in the profession.
(6) Meets all other noneducational requirements for
licensure.
§ 3305. Expedited temporary license.
(a) Requirements of temporary license.-- Each A licensing
board shall issue an expedited temporary license to a qualified
applicant who meets the criteria of subsection (c) .
(b) Expiration.-- The expedited temporary license shall be
valid until the earlier of one of:
(1) S ix months after the date of issuance of the
temporary license by the licensing board.
(2) T he date a nontemporary license is granted.
(3) T he date a notice to deny a license is issued under
subsection (f).
(c) Criteria.-- An application for an expedited temporary
license shall include the following documentation that the
applicant:
(1) I s a servicemember, veteran or military spouse.
(2) H olds a valid license in good standing issued in
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another state.
(3) I s assigned to a duty station in this Commonwealth
or has established legal residence in this Commonwealth.
(4) H as submitted a full application for licensure.
(d) State equivalent.-- Except as provided for in subsection
(e), before issuing an expedited temporary license to a
qualified applicant under this section, the licensing board
shall determine that the requirements for licensure in another
state the qualified applicant is licensed are substantially
equivalent to or exceed the requirements for licensure in this
Commonwealth.
(e) Not substantially equivalent.--If a licensing board
determines that the requirements for licensure in another state
the qualified applicant is licensed are not substantially
equivalent to licensure in this Commonwealth, the licensing
board may issue an expedited temporary license for a limited
period of time at the discretion of the licensing board while
the qualified applicant completes additional requirements for
licensure in this Commonwealth.
(f) Denial of temporary license.--A licensing board may not
issue an expedited temporary license if the issuance of the
license poses a risk to public health, safety or welfare.
(g) Publication.--The process for obtaining an expedited
temporary license shall be published on a licensing board's
publicly accessible Internet website.
§ 3306. Relevant military experience.
(a) Years of experience.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, i n calculating a qualified applicant's years
of practice or experience in an occupation or a profession, a
licensing board shall give credit to the qualified applicant for
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relevant experience obtained as a servicemember or veteran.
(b) Training or education provided by military.--A licensing
board shall give credit for training and education provided by
the military and completed by a qualified applicant toward
training or education requirements for licensure, if the
training or education is determined by the licensing board to be
substantially equivalent to the training or education required
for licensure in this Commonwealth.
(c) Military Occupational Codes Crosswalk.--A licensing
board shall use the Military Occupational Codes Crosswalk to
facilitate the acceptance of military practice or experience if
training or education requirements for licensure are incomplete.
§ 3307. Renewal of license for deployed servicemembers.
(a) Renewal application submission before deployment.--
(1) A servicemember who is scheduled to be deployed
outside this Commonwealth may apply for renewal of a license
if the deployment will occur when the license is eligible for
renewal.
(2) The servicemember may submit to the licensing board
all requirements for renewal prior to deployment.
(3) The licensing board shall provide a review of the
application and information received.
(4) If the licensing board finds that a requirement is
not met, the licensing board may notify the servicemember of
the deficiency but may not process the renewal until the
biennial renewal cycle begins.
(b) Late renew after deployment.-- A licensing board may
renew a license of a servicemember after the expiration of the
license without penalty if the late renewal is a direct result
of deployment.
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(c) Extension of continued education.--A licensing board may
extend a requirement to complete continuing education or
continued competency requirements for up to three months after
deployment of a servicemember if the servicemember meets all
other requirements for license renewal.
(d) Military spouse.-- This section shall apply to a military
spouse if the military spouse travels with the servicemember
during deployment.
§ 3308. Fees.
A licensing board may not assess a fee for an initial
licensure of a military spouse who relocated to this
Commonwealth as a result of the servicemember's military orders.
§ 3309. Reports.
The bureau shall submit an annual report once for six years
to the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Consumer
Protection and Professional Licensure Committee of the Senate
and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Professional
Licensure Committee of the House of Representatives. The report
shall include:
(1) The number of qualified applicants.
(2) The number of qualified applicants who were approved
for licensure.
(3) The number of qualified applicants who were denied
licensure including data on the reasons for denial.
(4) Data on the licensing board's application processing
times for qualified applicants including reasons for delays.
(5) Recommendations on ways to improve the licensing
board's ability to meet the licensing needs of
servicemembers, veterans and military spouses.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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