Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin Square) is calling for passage of legislation that would remove bureaucratic barriers that currently prohibit spouses of military personnel from obtaining licensing needed for employment.

Under current law, New York requires spouses of military personnel to go through a burdensome process in order to practice their licensed profession within the state. They are required to pay costly fees and wait for paperwork to be processed before they can use a license they already were granted in another state.

Legislation to recognize an equivalent out-of-state license to allow a military spouse to practice their occupation without delay has been introduced in both houses.

“It is simply unacceptable that we have caused additional struggles for military families who have been relocated to New York,” said Ra. “By upholding this regulation, we deny military spouses the opportunity to become established or receive income in their new residence. Forty-seven states have enacted legislation to remove these licensing barriers, and it is time for us to follow suit. I am urging my colleagues to take this bill up immediately to eliminate these financial obstacles once and for all.”

In 2014, this legislation was passed unanimously by the Senate. However, it was held in the Assembly Higher Education Committee and failed to come to the floor for a vote.