The legislative changes Michigan is considering are not unusual. For example, many states have “sunset” provisions attached to licensing laws, which trigger a periodic review of these laws.[15] Other states have launched systematic assessments of their current licensing laws.
In the past few years, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Arizona and Louisiana each initiated a licensing review process.[16] The new policies in these states, generally speaking, actively supervise licensing boards and promote competition within the licensed occupations. Going forward, licensing boards in those states must use the least restrictive regulation needed to protect the public.
Since 2015, according to the Institute for Justice, 29 states have made it easier for people with criminal records to attain licensure. State that made significant reforms along these lines are Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In 10 states, licensing boards and agencies are generally restricted from denying exoffenders a license unless their crime is directly related to the occupation they want to be licensed in.[17]