Florida - Thursday June 27, 2024: Florida Policy Institute (FPI) released a statement today critical of Governor DeSantis' veto of HB 133, a measure that would have:
1) reduced from five years to three the duration of time during which a criminal record could be used by licensing boards as grounds to deny an applicant a barber or cosmetology license and
2) required the applicable licensing board to approve credits applicants received from the Department of Corrections’ educational and vocational programs to be counted towards licensing training requirements.
FPI CEO Sadaf Knight issued the following statement:
“Today’s veto of HB 133 means that much-needed occupational licensing reform has come to a standstill in Florida. Right now, people who have completed their sentences face a multitude of barriers to economic stability. Not only would this legislation have paved career pathways for returning citizens — it would also have come with benefits to the state budget. A recent FPI analysis found that common-sense reforms to the occupational licensing process could yield tens of millions in savings as a result of reduced recidivism rates."