State Senator Andre Jacque of De Pere has teamed up with fellow Republican Jeremy Thiesfeldt to introduce a bill that aims to add license fee waivers for veteran’s spouses.
Under current law, veterans are eligible for a fee waiver for a variety of state-issued licenses and certifications, including Department of Natural resources licenses, certain occupational licenses, and other miscellaneous licenses.
This bill expands eligibility to include the spouse of any veteran included in the current fee waiver program.
Research by the Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families finds that up to 35 percent of military spouses are employed in fields that require licensure, primarily in health- and education-related fields in high state workforce demand.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), “Military spouses may be deterred by the high cost of licensure, particularly those who have experienced frequent moves. To reduce the number of military spouses who leave the workforce because of these costs, licensing authorities can grant specific fee waivers to these individuals.”
