The Idaho Legislature has approved three measures that change the regulations and licensing procedures of their respective occupations—midwifery, real estate appraising and landscape architecture.

House Bill 438 reauthorizes an existing state statute that provides for the licensing of midwives. First passed in 2009, the law is set to expire later this summer. Supporters of the licensure of midwives argue that requiring a license for the practice ensures that midwives are well trained and prevents midwives from accusations of “practicing medicine without a license.”

However, opponents of midwife licensing cite language in the original statute that acknowledges that midwifery “has been a part of the culture and tradition of Idaho since before pioneer days."

House Bill 346 pertains to the licensing of landscape architects. Under current law, an individual in Idaho is forbidden to work as a landscape architect until completing and passing a licensure exam. With a slight change in wording of the existing statute, the bill would allow an individual to work as a landscape architect after receiving the proper training, but before licensure testing.

House Bill 347 addresses real estate appraising. It would require one to undergo a fingerprint-based federal background check before becoming licensed as an appraiser. Critics say that the pressure for appraiser background checks is coming from the federal government and that state governments should not be enforcers of federal mandates. They also note that those seeking licensure as real estate appraisers will end up paying for extra fees and administrative costs associated with the mandated background check.

Supporters, however, claim that real estate appraisers in Idaho would be left in an awkward position if the state did not hold them to common national licensure standards.