New interstate licensing agreements will enable health care providers to begin caring for patients sooner when they move to Nevada.
Speech pathologists, physical therapists, and counselors from member states will not need a new license as a result of recently passed state laws.
Anahit Baghshetsyan, a research assistant at the Nevada Policy Research Institute, said that Nevada has some of the most time-consuming and expensive licensing requirements for much-needed medical professionals.
“We actually have to wait for professionals to get licensed longer, and they have to pay much more than their counterparts in other states. So for us, this is a big win, because someone who is already licensed in a member state can easily move to Nevada and not worry about these concerns,” Baghshetsyan said.
The legislation can benefit Nevada’s transient population and military families who are often on the move, she said.
“This is a signal to the military community that your spouses or significant other is more than welcome to actually practice their profession in our state,” Baghshetsyan said. “I believe that this will benefit Nevada's reputation as a business-friendly state, because we always claim to be one.”
Only a third of these types of bills passed during the 2025 Nevada legislative session because a lot of politics are involved, Baghshetsyan said. This includes boards that want to maintain their autonomy as well as push back from professionals already working in Nevada.
“Some feel that because they went through this tedious journey of being licensed in a certain profession, others who didn't should not be allowed to work at the same place. And while these sentiments might be very personal, I believe that a good professional should be keeping the client in mind first,” Baghshetsyan said.
More than 30 states have already joined the three compacts. Baghshetsyan hopes the legislature will address lowering licensing expenses in the 2027 session.
