LANSING, Mich. — Senate Health Policy Minority Vice Chair Michael Webber on Wednesday introduced legislation to increase opportunities for licensed public health care workers to transfer out-of-state credentials as part of a larger plan introduced by Senate Republicans to encourage economic growth in Michigan.

“Michigan needs more health professionals, and we must ensure that bureaucratic red tape is not hindering talented individuals from establishing roots to practice their care in our great state,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills. “My bill will work to remove overburdensome stumbling blocks and help grow Michigan and this vital workforce.”

Senate Bill 849 would call upon the state’s Licensing and Regulatory Affairs agency to publish an annual report on current reciprocity agreements and identify new opportunities to establish reciprocity for occupational credentials established under Michigan’s Public Health code.

The full “Grow MI State” economic development plan includes legislation to:

• Make it easier to do business in Michigan by ensuring state regulations are not stricter than those imposed by the federal government, requiring an annual review of all state agency rules to make sure they are still necessary, and forcing bureaucrats to receive approval from the Legislature before imposing costly regulations.
• Help people plant their roots in Michigan by improving licensing reciprocity in over 40 occupations for people from nurses and doctors to barbers and accountants and investing more in apprenticeship scholarships to expand Michigan’s skilled trades workforce.
• End corporate slush funds and reinvest in Michiganders by stopping cash payments to corporations and investing in desperately needed bridge repairs.
• Restore worker freedom to allow workers to decide for themselves whether they want to join a union and let job providers know Michigan is open for business again.

Webber previously introduced Senate Joint Resolution C in April 2023 to constitutionally require legislative approval for any new state agency rule that’s implementation would cost over $1 million within five years.

“Michigan’s small business owners — many who may not have the ability to pay for lobbyists and lawyers to manage state requirements — can easily find themselves stifled under the weight of costly state regulations,” Webber said. “Legislative transparency and accountability are crucial tools to protect Michigan’s economic future against the heavy hand of overambitious bureaucrats.”

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