Draft bill would direct DOPL to map military specialties to Utah occupational licenses
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Summary
Sen. Valerie Baldry and Libertas Institute proposed draft legislation to create a public crosswalk between military occupational specialties and state licenses and to accept verified military training toward licensure; DOPL said it is neutral but flagged potential fiscal needs.
Sen. Valerie Baldry told the Veterans and Military Affairs Commission she is sponsoring draft legislation intended to make it easier for service members and veterans to use military training toward Utah occupational licenses.
Baldry said the bill would direct the Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) to consult with the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs and identify military specialties that are substantially equivalent to state licensing requirements, publish a transparent crosswalk, and accept verified military training and experience toward licensure. Baldry framed the proposal as a way to reduce financial stress and ease transitions for service members and military spouses.
Jason Chipman, policy director for the Libertas Institute and a Navy veteran, described a comprehensive spreadsheet Libertas developed that maps Utah occupational licenses against military occupational classifications (MOCs) across services and notes education, experience and examination requirements. Chipman said the crosswalk aims to remove redundant education requirements when military experience demonstrably aligns with civilian job duties; he emphasized that required licensing exams would still apply.
Mark Steinegal, director of the Division of Professional Licensing, said DOPL appreciates the stakeholder outreach and has no formal position but that implementing the draft as written could carry a fiscal impact and might require additional staff. He said DOPL and bill authors have already incorporated several early edits, including removing a fixed implementation date to allow faster rollout.
Stakeholders at the meeting discussed implementation options. Baldry and others said the draft would initially produce a public resource and that DOPL would begin implementation as soon as possible; the bill calls for a report on utilization and progress in 2028 to determine whether to expand the effort (for example, by building a dedicated portal). Chipman noted Pennsylvania’s military crosswalk and cautioned that a full portal carries additional costs.
Other participants praised the effort: Terry Scow, a veteran who spoke in support, recounted difficulty obtaining academic credit for service training. Department staff and lawmakers suggested a parallel fiscal request might be introduced to ensure resources are available for the report and any required implementation.
Ending — The commission heard the draft and exchanged questions; no formal committee vote was taken on the legislation during this meeting. Participants agreed to continue stakeholder engagement and to monitor fiscal implications as the 2026 session approaches.
