Michelle Obama in town Tuesday - My50 Chicago - Television - WPWR

First Lady Michelle Obama will join Gov. Pat Quinn next week as he signs the "Military Family Licensing Act," which will help military spouses and veterans transfer their professional licenses to Illinois more easily.

Among the nearly 50 professions impacted by state licensure requirements are teachers, nurses, speech pathologists, dental hygienists, emergency medical technicians and dieticians, a release from the Governor's office said.

The First Lady has heard from military spouses and active duty service members about the difficulty they have in transferring occupational licenses from one state to the other, and how it negatively impacts their ability to sustain a career, the release said.

As part of her Joining Forces initiative to honor and support military families, Mrs. Obama has advocated for the 100,000 military spouses who serve in professions that require state licenses or certification and have to bear high financial burdens to transfer their credentials from state to state as they serve this country.

In February, the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden asked governors and spouses to improve job portability for military spouses in their states. At the time, only 11 states had such legislation, according to the release. Illinois will now become the 23rd, and seven others have pending legislation.

Illinois is the home to three major military bases – Naval Station Great Lakes, Scott Air Force Base, and the Rock Island Arsenal.

The bill signing will take place Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. at the Donnelly Building (Illinois National Guard Armory) at 1910 S. Calumet Ave.