Stanfield Bill Aiding Military Families Could Help Fill Need for Qualified Nurses, Teachers

Senator Jean Stanfield has introduced legislation that would help the spouses of military personnel assigned to New Jersey return to work in their licensed professions.

“When military families are relocated to our state, they want to settle in and return to usual routines as quickly as possible,” said Stanfield (R-8). “For partners with careers that require state certification, returning to work in their field can be difficult and frustrating.

“This measure would allow more flexibility for licensing boards to permit qualified individuals to continue to practice their professions as long as their military-serving spouses are stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst or other New Jersey military sites,” Stanfield continued. “With the troubling shortages in nursing and teaching, I would hope the Legislature recognizes the benefits in acting on the legislation now.”

The bill (S-1104) would extend the duration of courtesy certifications and require licensing/certification boards – including the State Board of Examiners, the New Jersey Board of Nursing, and others – to establish an expedited licensing process for the issuance of temporary courtesy licenses.

“Nurses and teachers who come here with certification from other states to accompany their military spouses will be able to return to the work they love with less stress and aggravation,” Stanfield said. “Considering the sacrifices made by military families, these courtesies are hard earned and well deserved.”

Stanfield’s bill extends the life of nursing courtesy certificates for the life of the license providing the military spouse resides in the state and complies with continuing education requirements and other stipulations.

Under the bill, teaching certificates would extend the initial period for an additional four years, from 180 days.

With respect to all other licensed professionals, ranging from landscape architects to hairdressers, which now have a renewable one-year term, the bill permits the extension of the courtesy license indefinitely as long as all related responsibilities continue to be met.