SPRINGFIELD – State Rep. Paul Jacobs (R-Pomona) reports the successful passage of legislation he co-sponsored in the Veto Session that seeks to address major delays in the issuance of professional licenses in the State of Illinois. Rep. Jacobs is an eye doctor and a legislator, and has become aware of significant problems that exist at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in both of his roles.
“My office receives numerous complaints every single week from people that have done their part, paid their dues, filled out their paper work, and are waiting months to receive their license to perform their occupation in the state of Illinois,” Jacobs said. “For months, my colleagues and I on the Republican side of the aisle have expressed our frustration to the Governor’s office and to the leadership at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Today, we saw the unanimous passage of legislation that aims to address serious backlogs and delays and to address workforce shortages in multiple industries.”
HB 2394 allows the Director of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to extend the expiration date of licenses to stave off further backlogs and delays. The bill also allows the department to cut through administrative red tape in the state’s difficult procurement process to obtain software solutions that will bring the department into the 21st century.
“IDFPR has been a major source of frustration for lawmakers, employers, and employees,” Jacobs said. “With today’s unanimous passage of HB 2394, I hope we are on the road to fixing these licensing delays and addressing our workforce shortages.”