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Sunday, March 10, 2013
Ind. Gov't. - "Regulatory oversight: Affected professions protest move to eliminate standards"
In this Feb. 26th ILB post, I said I did not understand the rationale behind SB 520, a bill creating a new statutory committee ("ERASER") to replace a very similar (and quite active) statutory committee created in 2010, the "Regulated Occupations Evaluation Committee" (ROEC).
Today, a Fort Wayne Journal Gazette editorial by Tracy Warner gives the answer. From the long editorial:
The state already has in place a credible review process. In late 2011, that panel issued its first round of reviews and recommended deregulating five professions, including barbers and hair stylists. After the stylists descended upon the Statehouse to protest a bill that would have achieved exactly what the panel recommended, lawmakers quickly ran away from the proposal, and the sponsor withdrew it.The new bill might suggest another example of “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it,” but sponsoring lawmakers are clever this time. If adopted, the bill would again require a review of certain occupations, but instead of requiring a legislative vote to eliminate an occupation from licensing, it would automatically eliminate the occupation unless the legislature voted to continue licensing.
The new bill is titled ERASER, for Eliminate, Reduce and Streamline Employee Regulation. If it becomes law, over the next five years the targeted occupations would no longer be regulated and subject to licensing unless the legislature votes otherwise. The targets include real estate agents, home inspectors, dietitians, land surveyors, massage therapists, certified surgical technologists, behavioral analysts and – yes – beauticians.
Lack of licensing means an end to requiring minimum training requirements or knowledge. It would become much easier for anyone – qualified or not – to hang up a shingle and start a business selling real estate, cutting hair or inspecting homes.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 10, 2013 08:15 PM
Posted to Indiana Government