Rep. Severin Joins House Republican Leader in Effort to Fix Professional Licensing Delays

SPRINGFIELD, IL …. Citing months of problems of delays in the issuance of professional licenses to Illinoisans seeking employment in various professions, State Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton) joined House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and State Representative Dr. Bill Hauter (R-Morton) for a Capitol news conference on Tuesday to unveil legislative efforts aimed at fixing problems at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

For his part, Rep. Severin says his office receives calls on a near-daily basis from constituents who have met the requirements and paid their registration fee to the State of Illinois but remain frustrated and unable to work due to delays in IDFPR’s process.

“Dozens and dozens of my constituents have called in the last year or so and have experienced long-ranging delays in receiving their licenses, even though they have done all that is required of them by the State,” Severin said. “I have been leading efforts to engage with the Department’s leadership, to identify problems, and to offer solutions. The agency is still behind on getting folks their licenses in a timely manner.”

Severin and his House Republican colleagues have introduced a sweeping package of legislation aimed at reducing delays, improving efficiency, and getting professionals their licenses in a timely manner.

• HB 4855 (McCombie) Requires DFPR to accept online payment

• HB 5147, HB 5148 (Davidsmeyer), HB 5006 (Coffey) Lowers licensure costs License Reciprocity and Expedited Licensure

• HB 4988 (Spain) Nurse Licensure Compact

• HB 5608 (Jacobs) Universal Recognition of Licenses Act to streamline out-of-state licensees

• HB 1572 (Hauter) Expedited licensure for health care professionals

• HB 4617 (Davidsmeyer) Reciprocity and online education for cosmetologists

• HB 4570 (Severin) Streamline teaching requirements for cosmetologists and barbers Learning More About Licensing

• HB 5007 (Coffey) Creates the Licensure Reform Task Force to gather facts on licensure delays and costs

• HB 3437 (Hauter) Creates a Task Force to determine if prescribing psychologists’ scope can be expanded while maintaining safety for patients

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