Joint Legislative Council Committee Votes to Approve Study Committee Recommendations
WHA proposals to streamline licensure processes move to next legislative phase
WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk served on the Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licensure and was pleased by progress made in advancing the study committee’s recommendations when the Joint Legislative Council Committee approved all of the study committee licensure recommendations at their March 23, 2023 meeting.
“WHA appreciated the opportunity to participate on the study committee and ensure licensure performs its intended function of creating guardrails for patient and consumer safety without creating barriers to care for patients and hurdles to health care careers,” notes Zenk, adding, “The vote of confidence by the Joint Legislative Council Committee is a good step forward for the bills we proposed.”
Study committee recommendations that were approved include three proposals urged by WHA to simplify and streamline licensure processes for Wisconsin’s Department of Safety and Professional Services and for health care professionals wishing to join Wisconsin’s health care workforce. The proposals will reduce unnecessary delays from the current lengthy legal review process, extend the renewal timeframe from every two years to every four years, and add metrics to better keep track of licensure process efficiencies and which steps may be causing unnecessary delays.
Sen. Rob Stafsholt chaired the Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licensure and presented the study committee’s recommendations to the Joint Legislative Council Committee. During his testimony Sen. Stafsholt was also able to highlight another proposal recommended by WHA and discussed by the study committee that is currently being considered by legislative authors. WHA is proposing preliminary licensure for new graduates that would utilize a similar process to that established by 2021 Wisconsin Act 10 to allow health care professionals licensed in good standing in another state to begin working immediately in Wisconsin while DSPS completes the processing of their Wisconsin license.
Sen. Rob Stafsholt (center), flanked by staff from the Wisconsin Legislative Council, testifies on behalf of the Legislative Council Study Committee on Occupational Licensure. The Joint Legislative Council voted to introduce a number of bills approved by the study committee and supported by WHA to improve licensure for health care workers.