Occupational Licensing Reform: Removing Barriers to Jobs

About 24 percent of jobs in Nebraska require a government license, encompassing nearly 200 different professions. While some licensing requirements make sense, in many cases, the barriers to entry created by these licensing requirements provide no benefits to public safety and only reduce entrepreneurship, restrict competition, and increase prices for Nebraskans.

In certain instances, Nebraska’s licensing system imposes requirements that are simply inconsistent with the rest of the country, making it harder to relocate to Nebraska to work, or for low- and middle-income workers to start a new business or career in our state.

Occupational licensing reforms can help Nebraskans create more and better businesses, and more and better jobs by removing unnecessary barriers to entrepreneurship.

Here are fact sheets about the career opportunities that can be made more accessible through various occupational licensing reform bills:

Abstracter/Title Examiner – LB345
Audiologist – LB343
Bank Executive Officer – LB341
Barber – LB343
Cosmetologist – LB343
Electrologist – LB343
Esthetician – LB343
Farm Labor Contactor – LB507
Massage Therapist – LB343
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Counselors – LB344
Motor Vehicle Salesperson – LB346
Nail Technician – LB343
Nurse – LB342
Potato Shipper – LB348
Reflexologist – LB588
School Bus Driver – LB347

More occupations will be added soon!

Also be sure to check out these recent articles and research discussing occupational licensing, and learn more about occupational licensing reform by visiting StrongJobsNebraska.org.

Editorials

• Editorial: Cost of Government Licensing Should be Scrutinzed – Omaha World-Herald
• Editorial: Occupational License Rules Need Review – Lincoln Journal Star
• Editorial: Nebraska Needs Right Balance in Licensing Rules – Grand Island Independent

Research

• Letters to Nebraska State Senators on Occupational Licensing Reform – Federal Trade Commission, Office of Policy Planning
• How Much Households Could Save Under Licensing Reform – Salim Furth, Heritage Foundation
• License to Work: A National Study of Occupational Licensing – Institute for Justice
• Occupational Licensing: A Framework for Policymakers – The White House

News and Opinion

• Platte Institute in the News: “Time for long-needed licensing reform”
• #ThanksObama for Supporting Licensing Reform – Platte Institute Column
• Removing Barriers to Entrepreneurship – Platte Institute Column
• Let Nebraskans Work – Strong Jobs Nebraska
• Creating More and Better Jobs – Strong Jobs Nebraska
• Nebraska Untangles Excessive Licensing Laws for Hair Braiding – FoxNews.com/Watchdog.org
• An Omaha Woman Took Her Business to Iowa Because of Nebraska’s Licensing Laws – Reason Magazine
• No license necessary for hair braiding services under bill passed by Legislature – Omaha World-Herald
• VIDEO: The Right to Earn a Living – Platte Institute