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Committee releases bill requiring review and report on professional licensure processing
Summary
Assembly Bill 2805 would require the Division of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Law and Public Safety to collect data on licensure processing (including application backlogs and processing times) and deliver a report to the governor and legislature within six months of enactment; business groups testified in favor.
The committee released Assembly Bill 2805, which would direct the Division of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Law and Public Safety to collect and analyze data on professions and occupations regulated through the division and to compile a report within six months of enactment.
The bill as read into the record requires the division to report, among other items, the number of outstanding applications for initial licensure for each profession or occupation; the percentage of applications completed over the past five years; and the calculation of how many applications took at least twice as long as the average processing time. The bill also requires the report to be delivered to the governor and state legislature.
Why it matters: Business groups and trade associations told the committee that persistent delays in licensing slow entry into the workforce, particularly in healthcare and social services. Althea Ford, vice president of government affairs for the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, said the measure "will provide data on the status of professional and occupational boards to process licenses and mandate staff training to bolster efficient interactions between boards and the licensed professionals they serve." Ford urged the committee to release the bill so the legislature and stakeholders could assess operational pain points.
Testimony and record: Dozens of organizations submitted witness slips in favor, including the New Jersey Hospital Association, the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, the New Jersey State Funeral Directors Association, Home Care Association affiliates, and professional medical and pharmacy associations. Several organizations indicated "no need to testify" on the record; Althea Ford spoke at the hearing and summarized industry concerns about delays, staffing and board vacancies.
Formal action: On a motion to release Assembly Bill 2805, Assemblyman Sharfenberger moved the motion; committee members recorded affirmative responses and the chair announced "The bill is released." The transcript does not show recorded nay votes, abstentions, or a formal roll‑call tally beyond the recorded yes responses.
What’s next: The bill's text requires the report to be issued six months after enactment; the transcript does not specify an enactment date or funding implications for implementation.
