Bill > B26-0442

This bill establishes the Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact, a comprehensive agreement designed to streamline social worker licensing across multiple states. The compact aims to increase public access to social work services by reducing duplicative licensing requirements, supporting military families, and facilitating easier interstate practice for licensed social workers. Under this compact, social workers can obtain a multistate license that allows them to practice in any participating state, provided they meet specific eligibility criteria such as holding an unencumbered license in their home state, passing a qualifying national exam, and completing educational requirements from an accredited program. The bill creates a Social Work Licensure Compact Commission to oversee implementation, manage a centralized data system for tracking licensure information, and establish rules for interstate practice. The compact ensures that social workers maintain professional standards by requiring them to adhere to the laws and regulations of the state where they are providing services, and it provides mechanisms for investigating and taking adverse actions against licensees who violate professional standards. Importantly, the compact preserves each state's regulatory authority to protect public health and safety while promoting professional mobility and addressing workforce shortages in the social work profession.

Health and Social Services

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0442