ATLANTA — Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp recently announced a plan to streamline the operations at his agency’s professional licensing boards division through more efficient procedures in license application review and code enforcement.
The plan will decrease the amount of time currently required to review renewals, new license applications and deficient applications and to conduct hearings so qualified Georgians can get to work or start a new  business in a week, rather than months.
The first component of the streamlined PLB operations plan is the creation of the Georgia Board of Licensing and Regulation. The GBLR will be a seven-member body whose members are appointed by the governor and will be composed of consumer members only. The GBLR will conduct hearings to approve certain professional licenses, hear appeals of rulings made by the director of professional licensing and review for approval rules recommended by the professional licensing policy boards.
The plan’s second component addresses conversion of the existing professional licensing boards to professional licensing policy boards. The PLPBs will be composed of licensees and professional association members and will continue to be appointed by the governor. The PLPBs will recommend new rules or rule amendments and offer their professional and expert opinions to the GBLR. Additionally, this streamlined process will allow PLPB members to spend more time providing their opinions to the director of professional licensing and staff to aid with licensing and investigations.
Finally, the PLB’s streamlined operations plan complements the Go Build Georgia campaign by helping the state’s next generation of skilled trade professionals obtain licensure sooner.
For more information, go to www.sos.ga.gov/plb.