WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — State Representative Heath Clark says he wants to lower the 16 percent unemployment rate for military spouses with House Bill 914.
He wants to change the wording of a state law to give those spouses a better opportunity of finding work as they move to Georgia.
Arael Seher has been married to her airman husband for 11 years and has lived in three different states since they've been married.
The registered nurse and her family have lived in Bonaire since July and she says she is getting ready to reapply for her license in Georgia.
"It would be nice if there weren't the need to get new licenses everywhere we move," said Seher.
That is what State Representative Clark is trying to do with House Bill 914, which he introduced last week.
"I've got a bill here that is telling those state boards you 'shall' grant a license to a military spouse member who is coming here with a professional license," said Representative Clark in a video taken by Robins Regional Chamber.
Basically, the bill will make it easier for military spouses to move to Georgia and continue to work until they are able to get a new license for jobs like teaching, cosmetology, and nursing.
Currently, they often have to be out of work until their new license is approved.
Representative Clark says the Georgia licensing board will accept out-of-state licenses during a grace period, as long as it meets requirements on the training that is comparable to Georgia's standards.
He says they plan to have hearings on the proposed bill and hopefully take a vote when they reconvene on the 18th.
Seher says getting retrained and re-licensed as a nurse in Georgia will take over 200 hours of work and cost about $1,000 and she says they plan to be in the state for just three to five years.
However, she says this could change the game for military spouses coming to Georgia
"In my opinion, military spouses are the most over educated and underemployed group anywhere," said Seher. "Hopefully, more will happen everywhere."
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