The Knee Regulatory Research Center announced the release of their updated 2026 Annual Licensing Database Snapshot on October 19. For each state, the database includes updated licensing requirements for 95 professions, along with five newly added professions, providing valuable data for regulatory agencies. For each licensed profession, for example, the spreadsheet offers multiple columns of information from initial fee to degree requirements to minimum age. “In 2023, we began providing an annual snapshot of licensing requirements as a resource for researchers who want to use our data to estimate the effect of specific licensing requirements and for policymakers to follow changes in requirements over time,” explains the Knee Center. Researchers culled information from various state government sources, including state laws, administrative codes, agency communications and licensing board websites.
Mississippi lawmakers look to streamline state government and modernize professional licensing, according to Mississippi Public Broadcasting on October 15; a legislative committee reviewed ways to increase the efficiency of the state’s more than 200 boards, through consolidation, shared administrative services or the elimination of inactive entities. One proposal removes boards and commissions that no longer meet, for example. A key focus involves professional licensing boards. Lawmakers examined models used in Georgia and Texas—states that centralize administrative functions like staffing, facilities and purchasing. State leaders also cited the age of these agency systems and growing cybersecurity concerns. “We’ve not been real good about sharing these various attacks,” explained Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, “and also what the basis of them are, what people need to be watching out for. There’s a big gap right now, and these crooks are becoming more and more sophisticated, and we need to be more sophisticated in how we respond.”
The National Bureau of Economic Research looked into reducing training and instructional hours for licensing, looking specifically at cosmetology. Cosmetology Gets a Trim: The Impact of Reducing Licensing Hours on Colleges and Students, updated in September, looks at the impact of reducing training and instructional hours. “We find that lowering required hours is likely beneficial for students, as it shortens program length, lowers tuition, and raises completion,” the report highlights. “Schools respond by increasing tuition per clock hour, and we find increases in profits for large chain for-profit institutions.” The study found no evidence of decreases in earnings for cosmetologists. Cosmetology licenses in every state require 1,000 to 2,100 training hours, typically more than comparable licenses. The study analyzed 18 state reductions in these requirements between 2010 and 2023 using a difference-in-differences approach.
Renee Moseley joined GL Solutions in 2016 with an educational and professional background in research and writing, along with software documentation. At GL Solutions she produces informative content to help regulatory agencies stay current on news and information that supports their success.
