Nevada lawmakers are trying to make it easier for health care workers licensed in other states to work in Nevada.
There are seven bills to have Nevada join interstate licensing compacts. Those professions include school psychologists, physical therapists, and speech pathologists.
The legislation would allow a person licensed in a state that’s part of the compact to work in Nevada without having to get a new license.
Anahit Baghshetsyan, a research assistant with Nevada Policy, said the state has some of the most expensive and timely licensing requirements. The think tank is in support of the bills, and she pointed to one of the most famous interstate compacts: driver’s licenses.
“Nobody in Oklahoma would be like, ‘Oh, you cannot drive here because your licensure is in California.’ The roads are the same in every state, and the patients are also the same in every state,” Baghshetsyan said.
Advocates of interstate compacts typically say these reforms are beneficial for military families who relocate. Opponents say they can diminish board revenues and decrease sovereignty.
Editor's note: a previous version of this story incorrectly stated the number of interstate licensing bills.
