Sandoval reports positive feedback to licensing program for military spouses

He said, “Overall boards and commissions have been very supportive” of his order requiring licensing reciprocity, or allowing military spouses to transfer existing state licenses to Nevada.

“I feel great about it,” Sandoval said. “It is important we support our veterans and their families.”

Ashley Hall, the Army Reserve ambassador for Nevada, commended the governor for the order.

“Our military people move so often,” Hall said. “They sign up and go to war, and their families are the last thing many people think of. We need to grant them a little slack.”

But the Review-Journal made more than a dozen calls to licensing boards and found most were ignorant of the order, which has the force of law and went into effect Saturday.

Several, including the Board of Nursing, did not return repeated calls.

And one Board of Cosmetology employee, who did not give her name, said licenses could not be granted to military spouses unless they first passed state tests.

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Under the order, “every” state board and commission created under Nevada law would be required to give military spouses licenses “as long as the requirements” for licensing in their current states are “substantially equivalent” to Nevada requirements.

In his order, Sandoval said if an executive director or chairman of a professional licensing board believes laws now prohibit granting license reciprocity, then he or she must prepare in writing proposals to change laws to make it possible.

In the meantime, the board would have to grant provisional or temporary licenses to the military spouses.

Mary-Sarah Kinner, Sandoval’s press secretary, said Tuesday that the governor has requested that state agencies respond in writing by June 30 on parts of the order they can implement and what parts they cannot.

Dozens of boards oversee licensing of professionals in Nevada.

They range from a barbers board and one that governs social workers, to others that license real estate agents and dentists.

The governor appoints most members of state boards and commissions.

FIRST LADY INITIATIVE

Sandoval said he and other governors were urged by first lady Michelle Obama during a National Governors Association meeting two months ago to take steps to reduce the red tape that prevents qualified spouses of military members from getting professional jobs in their new states.

Doug Cooper, executive director of the Board of Medical Examiners, said his board supports the governor “100 percent.”

But Cooper said he was not aware of any military spouse in the past seeking a license to practice medicine in the state.

Because laws govern how doctors are licensed, Cooper said, the board might not be able to carry out all parts of Sandoval’s order initially.

But he added, “We can work to fast-track these type of applicants.”

James Guthrie, state superintendent of public instruction whose agency licenses public school teachers, also expressed support of the order but warned it might be difficult to fully implement.

“I am all for it,” said Guthrie, adding it might be a way for Nevada to secure additional effective teachers.

“But the credentialing and licensing system for teachers in Nevada is broken, period. Until I get a chance to work on it, the effects (of the executive order) would be minimized.”

Kimberly Farmer, executive director of the State Bar of Nevada, first wants to review the executive order in detail before commenting on what step her organization will take.

She does not recall in the past a lawyer spouse of a military member seeking a Nevada license.

Farmer said the state of Idaho has a similar requirement but has had only one case of a spouse seeking a license to practice law.

By the time the spouse received an Idaho license, she had moved to another state.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.