In early March, Gov. Tony Evers signed several acts into law that provide professional licensure reciprocity and expand higher education benefits for service members, veterans and their spouses living in Wisconsin.

The new 2019 Wisconsin Act 143 expands the circumstances under which military spouses may receive reciprocal professional and occupational credentials. Service members, veterans and their spouses living in Wisconsin but credentialed in another state now have four years after service to obtain and use reciprocal credentials from the Veterinary Examining Board or any of the professional boards overseen by the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Once they have been given reciprocity, individuals will be required to follow any ongoing state licensing procedure for their respective professions.

Advocates have been pushing for this change in state licensing requirements for several years, as it will make it easier for veterans and military spouses with experience in skilled trades, health care and other professional sectors to find employment.

Two additional acts expand the state’s veteran education benefits. The 2019 Wisconsin Act 149 expands education benefits for veterans attending private and independent schools. Previously, the Wisconsin GI Bill provided grants to cover tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin System schools or Wisconsin Technical Colleges. Additionally, the 2019 Wisconsin Act 147 gives veterans flexibility in determining which credits from their military transcript they would like to receive academic credit for when transferring to one of the state’s public universities or technical colleges.

These new benefits are just a few of the reasons Wisconsin continues to be one of the best places live and work after your transition out of military service. Go here to see how Wisconsin stacks up to other states in terms of veterans’ benefits.