The American Medical Technologists organization opposes licensure for medical laboratory personnel unless there is consensus among all the groups representing generalist laboratory practitioners as to qualifications, titles, accreditation, and certification policies. Licensure is a restrictive and protectionistic measure, and American Medical Technologists recommends certification of medical laboratory personnel as an acceptable alternative to licensure that can ensure quality in laboratory testing at less cost to the consumer. American Medical Technologists believes that certification is a cost-effective measure that regulatory agencies can readily adopt and implement to assure the public that competent practitioners are supplying high quality laboratory testing to health care providers and consumers. It reaffirms its belief that academic preparation at the technician and medical assistant levels is mandatory, but that the technician, either through additional education and/or experience and examination and through continuing education, be able to advance within the profession to a director position. Lack of an academic degree should not be a barrier to individuals who have initiative, interest, and an innate ability to learn on the job and who desire to advance in their chosen profession of medical technology. (The document includes a brief history of the certification/licensure debate, nine statements of affirmation, and six statements of the issues.) (CML)