There is public support for maintaining licensing standards for professions that have an impact on health, safety and welfare, says the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing. ARPL bases its statement on the results of a national survey, conducted for the alliance by Benenson Strategy Group.
More than 70% of those surveyed say it is important to regulate professionals in engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, accounting and related fields that affect health, safety and welfare. Seventy-one percent say licensing should be required unless it can be proven that eliminating it will not have a negative impact on health, safety and welfare. And 67% of those surveyed say consumers are "best protected by a system that regulates education, examination and experience standards."