MACON, Ga. — Professional licensed workers are hoping the state board will find a way to make renewing their licenses easier.
It's called the Georgia Online Application Licensing System. Otherwise known as G.O.A.L.S.
Gabriel Sterling is the COO for the Georgia Secretary of State Office. He says the main thing they will discuss on Wednesday is the laws that cover professional licenses.
On Wednesday, the Joint Blue-Ribbon Committee on Licensing Issues, co-chaired by State Representative Matt Hatchett and State Senator Blake Tillery will investigate the licensing problems at Middle Georgia State University at 9 a.m.
Their old system is 20 years old and Sterling says the new system should give a lot more transparency to license holders and applicants, but it took a while for people to get used to it. He says the Secretary of State and legislators will discuss the need to update the laws.
"The main things that are the problem is, (the laws) are intended to have human beings make subjective decisions about people's licenses. What is a two-story vertical kind of a thing to build for somebody who's trying to get a general contracting license? That's kind of a subjective thing. What we want to get to is basically, did you pass your exam? Yes. Are you a criminal? No. Do you have your continuing education? Yes. Here is your license," Sterling said.
Bridgette Carswell is the general manager for Great Clips in Central Georgia and Macon. She says she has to oversee more than 50 employees with a cosmetology license. She says she has seen some cosmetologists get their licenses with ease and others who have trouble getting the state's stamp of approval.
"They have to get a pin which has been kind of a nuisance because they say you have to call the Georgia State Board but no one answers the phone," Carswell said.
Sterling says Wednesday's meeting will focus on changing old laws to align with the new software system.
"There is a certain section of our healthcare ones that even for ones that are incomplete applications, the board starts to look at it because that is what the law says, so we have these really antiquated laws and the legislature has made many moves on the edges and stuff, but it could never be. Never really get them over the line had two really great laws this year that almost made it the last day. But, you know, licensing is not a sexy issue for a lot of people, but it is really important," Sterling said.
Sterling says they are approving a lot of licensed professionals.
"We are at about nearly 80% of complete applications have turned into licenses within 17 to 28 days on average, so. It is working really well."
He says the staff is working with what they can to get people their licenses.
"The budget we had in 2010 was nearly the same as we had last year. Now they did give us $1.4 million for this upcoming fiscal year. We started on July 1st and that will really help us get some more bodies in there to help push some of these things through. Because while doing this new launch in this new pilot of the new system, we could not add staff, so they had to work on this and get people licensed to that kind of stuff and these are dedicated people, they care about the people of Georgia and get them to work. But we have asked a lot of them, so getting this relief from the legislature is very we are very thankful for it, we might need some more moving forward, but the hope is one day to have, you know. A small staff, they can administratively do this and let the boards focus on complaints and compliance," Sterling said.
The meeting will be in the Robert F. Hatcher Conference Center Room PSC 211 at 100 University Parkway, Macon, GA 31206.