News Release: Job Licensing Fee Waiver on General File
NEWS RELEASE from the Platte Institute
Contact: Adam Weinberg
Phone: (402) 452-3737
aweinberg@platteinstitute.org
Legislative Bill Tracking: LB112
Job Licensing Fee Waiver Goes to Full Debate
LINCOLN, NE – Sen. Sara Howard’s Legislative Bill 112, which would waive first-time job licensing fees for low-income workers, military families, and young people, is now on today’s legislative agenda for its first round of debate. Currently, the bill is seventh on the agenda.
LB112 was advanced to General File by the Health and Human Services Committee, which Sen. Howard chairs, with a unanimous 7-0 vote.
Platte Institute Director of Government Relations Nicole Fox testified in support of LB112 earlier this month. Under the proposal, licensing boards would waive the first job licensing fee for applicants who are enrolled in a public assistance program or whose income is below 130% of the federal poverty line. Military families and workers age 18 to 25 would also be eligible for the waiver.
Nebraska requires a license for many professions that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies as low-income, and complying with state licensing requirements can be a costly part of accessing better-paying jobs for Nebraskans.
“Keep in mind that workers applying for these licenses may have experienced loss of income while obtaining needed training, may have had significant tuition costs, and in many cases, may also have to pay for continuing education to maintain that license,” said Nicole Fox.
Workers would still have to pay fees when they wanted to renew their licenses going forward, but LB112 would allow them to begin working before owing state boards a fee. As for the budget impact of the policy, proceeds of state licensing fees are typically used to fund licensing board operations, and are held in the state’s Cash Funds. Most sales and income tax revenues are held separately in the General Fund.
Video of the bill introduction and some supporting testimony in committee is available on the Platte Institute’s Facebook page.
To schedule an interview on this topic, please contact Adam Weinberg at (402) 452-3737 or aweinberg@platteinstitute.org.
The Platte Institute advances policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska. More media resources are available at PlatteInstitute.org/Media.