This installment of the Regulatory Modernization Highlights features the work of two agencies that found innovative ways to streamline or cut regulatory burdens.

 

Board of Long-Term Care Administrators creates a new “inactive” license.

Over the course of one’s professional career, it is not uncommon to leave practice for a period of several years. Parents might take a break to spend more time with kids. An illness may require a temporary hiatus in practice. Or a retiree may decide that she wants to start practicing again part time.

During these periods of inactivity, maintaining a professional license can pose a major expense. But allowing a license to lapse means that the licensee may have to retake an exam or complete professional training upon re-entering active practice. Recognizing this problem, the Board of Long-Term Care Administrators created a new “inactive” license. The holder pays a reduced fee while he isn’t practicing, and he can then switch over to an active license once he’s ready to re-enter the profession.

This will save professionals money and should expand the pool of practitioners by facilitating re-entry into active practice.

 

DMV eliminates duplicative state requirements.

If you own a business, engage in a profession, or undertake any number of other activities, you can be subject to regulation at three separate levels: federal, state, and local.

It is difficult enough to keep track of three separate bodies of regulation, even assuming each of them is clear and distinct. When the different types of regulations overlap, compliance can become extremely difficult.

Recently, the Department of Motor Vehicles determined that its regulations applicable to driving schools were partly redundant of the Building Code and of federal requirements. It therefore issued regulations making two sets of changes, one of which eliminated redundant classroom size requirements and the other of which struck certain curriculum requirements that were duplicative of federal regulations.

Driving schools will now have an easier time navigating their regulatory obligations.

Download ORM Highlights: Mid-August 2024.