Flag Day is not only the day the Stars and Stripes became our flag, it is also the birthday of an institution that defends the freedoms the flag represents–the Army. But what if the government required you to move, and the state you moved to wouldn’t allow you to practice your profession? When military spouses move to a new state, their occupational licenses don’t transfer–which means months of unemployment and financial hardship for military families. These rules not only go against the spirit of our country, but they also threaten military readiness and contribute to the recruiting and retention crisis.
A federal law, which passed with bipartisan support in Congress earlier this year, will provide some relief by requiring state licensing authorities to recognize a professional license from another state when a spouse moves on military orders. This is a giant leap forward for military families who have been clamoring for reform–but thousands of military spouses could still be excluded from the labor force if states don’t cut out the red tape.
