ACTE Endorses Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 7, 2021 

Contact: Jori Houck – jhouck@acteonline.org 

  

ACTE Endorses Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act 

  

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) endorsed the Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide military spouses with professional license reciprocity in the state where their spouse is serving on military orders. This legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Reps. Mike Garcia (R-CA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) introduced companion legislation in the House. The Military Spouse Licensing Relief Act passed the House of Representatives on September 23, 2021, clearing the way for its inclusion as an amendment in the final version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

 

The bill will allow military spouses to retain employment in their fields and advance their careers while providing relief for the often-expensive and onerous process of acquiring a new professional license every time a military spouse is required to move on order of the military. Additionally, this legislation would help keep highly skilled workers employed in many in-demand career fields, such as education, nursing and medicine, improving job security and providing stability for military families and alleviating workforce shortages.  

 

“This is a great opportunity to support our military families, who already sacrifice immensely to serve our country, and help ensure that military spouses can secure the reciprocity they need to continue their careers uninterrupted and support their families,” said LeAnn Wilson, ACTE Executive Director. “Highly qualified professionals – including teachers and instructors – will be able to continue serving in high-demand career fields, helping to alleviate critical workforce shortages and continue training the next generation of workers. In addition, supporting career and technical education (CTE) teachers through this bill will help ensure that students will continue to receive access to high-quality CTE programs and instruction in schools located near military installations. We look forward to its enactment, and we are thankful for the leadership of the Members of Congress that have championed this bill.” 

  

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About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.