Bill Overview
Title: To require the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness to conduct a study on the benefits of licensure reform for the hiring of military spouses.
Description: This bill requires the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the Department of Defense to study the benefits of licensure reform for the hiring of military spouses.
Sponsors: Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
Target Audience
Population: Military spouses
Estimated Size: 1000000
- The bill focuses on military spouses and their employment.
- Licensure reform could affect the ease with which military spouses find employment when moving across state lines due to military relocations.
- In general, licensure barriers affect many professions, meaning any reform might impact employment opportunities in multiple fields.
Reasoning
- Military spouses often face significant challenges related to employment due to frequent relocations, which can affect their wellbeing. Reforming licensure laws could ease these employment challenges, improving the quality of life for many.
- The simulation considers diversity among military spouses in terms of age, gender, location, and occupation to reflect their varied experiences and potential impacts of licensure reform.
- While the primary impact is expected on military spouses, the reform could also have indirect benefits for the civilian workforce, but the budget primarily focuses on military families.
- Historical data indicates that reducing licensure barriers can significantly improve employment rates and job satisfaction, which translates to better wellbeing scores.
Simulated Interviews
Nurse (San Diego, CA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I struggle to maintain consistent employment due to different licensure requirements in each new state.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Teacher (Virginia Beach, VA)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A streamlined licensure process would greatly help me continue my teaching career without starting over each move.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Real Estate Agent (Fort Bragg, NC)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy saves me time and money getting my licenses renewed across states.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
ICT Specialist (Anchorage, AK)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Uniform license rules would prevent career breaks and loss of income.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Accountant (Austin, TX)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Although my spouse is now retired, earlier licensure reform would have enhanced my career.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Social Worker (Seattle, WA)
Age: 26 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Starting a profession is hard enough without jumping through licensing hoops every few years.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Therapist (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 12.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- License portability is crucial for maintaining my client base and income stability.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Physical Therapist (Colorado Springs, CO)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I am optimistic this reform will reduce the bureaucratic burden of frequent moves.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Legal Consultant (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This bill would significantly help with continuity in my legal career.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Software Developer (Norfolk, VA)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Credential reform will provide me more job opportunities during relocations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $4000000, High: $6000000)
Year 2: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 3: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The one-time nature of the study limits the fiscal impact to a single year.
- Potential indirect economic effects could materialize if the study leads to licensure reforms that enhance military spouse employment.
- The estimated 5 million USD cost is relatively low in the context of the Department of Defense budget.