Greenwood, Hoffman Sponsor Legislation to Help Military Personnel Receive Professional Licensure

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Reps. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis, and Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, are sponsoring legislation that would help active duty service members stationed on Illinois military bases receive professional licenses for employment.

“Active duty service members at Scott Air Force Base have raised concerns regarding their inability to secure and maintain employment due to obstacles with professional licensing,” Hoffman said. “Under current law, professional licenses issued to active duty military personnel are only valid for six months for those stationed in Illinois. Our proposal would allow military personnel and their spouses to apply for licensure which would remain valid for up to three years to meet their needs.”

Greenwood and Hoffman’s House Bill 1652 would accelerate the process by which applications for professional licensure are processed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and establish a military liaison to oversee the application process at the department. Additionally, it would extend the lifetime of such licenses to three years in an effort to accommodate active duty military personnel and their spouses temporarily stationed at military bases across the state.  

“We are committed to improving the livelihoods of military men and women by ensuring access to a system that yields the best results to achieve the highest possible employment outcomes,” Greenwood said. “Our priority remains with service members who are counting on us to deliver on this commonsense proposal.”