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SB158-AA1,21,1616 Subchapter III
SB158-AA1,21,1717 SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT
SB158-AA1,21,23 18457.70 Social work licensure compact. (1) Purpose. The purpose of this
19compact is to facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers by improving
20public access to competent social work services. The compact preserves the
21regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current
22system of state licensure. This compact is designed to achieve the following
23objectives:
SB158-AA1,21,2424 (a) Increase public access to social work services;
SB158-AA1,22,2
1(b) Reduce overly burdensome and duplicative requirements associated with
2holding multiple licenses;
SB158-AA1,22,33 (c) Enhance the member states' ability to protect the public's health and safety;
SB158-AA1,22,54 (d) Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate
5practice;
SB158-AA1,22,86 (e) Promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the
7necessity for licenses in multiple states by providing for the mutual recognition of
8other member state licenses;
SB158-AA1,22,99 (f) Support military families;
SB158-AA1,22,1110 (g) Facilitate the exchange of licensure and disciplinary information among
11member states;
SB158-AA1,22,1512 (h) Authorize all member states to hold a regulated social worker accountable
13for abiding by a member state's laws, regulations, and applicable professional
14standards in the member state in which the client is located at the time care is
15rendered; and
SB158-AA1,22,1716 (i) Allow for the use of telehealth to facilitate increased access to regulated
17social work services.
SB158-AA1,22,19 18(2) Definitions. As used in this compact, and except as otherwise provided, the
19following definitions shall apply:
SB158-AA1,22,2220 (a) “Active military member” means any individual with full-time duty status
21in the active armed forces of the United States including members of the national
22guard and reserve.
SB158-AA1,23,423 (b) “Adverse action” means any administrative, civil, equitable or criminal
24action permitted by a state's laws which is imposed by a licensing authority or other
25authority against a regulated social worker, including actions against an individual's

1license or multistate authorization to practice such as revocation, suspension,
2probation, monitoring of the licensee, limitation on the licensee's practice, or any
3other encumbrance on licensure affecting a regulated social worker's authorization
4to practice, including issuance of a cease and desist action.
SB158-AA1,23,75 (c) “Alternative program” means a nondisciplinary monitoring or practice
6remediation process approved by a licensing authority to address practitioners with
7an impairment.
SB158-AA1,23,108 (d) “Charter member states” - member states who have enacted legislation to
9adopt this compact where such legislation predates the effective date of this compact
10as described in sub. (14).
SB158-AA1,23,1411 (e) “Compact commission” or “commission” means the government agency
12whose membership consists of all states that have enacted this compact, which is
13known as the social work licensure compact commission, as described in sub. (10),
14and which shall operate as an instrumentality of the member states.
SB158-AA1,23,1515 (f) “Current significant investigative information” means:
SB158-AA1,23,1916 1. Investigative information that a licensing authority, after a preliminary
17inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity for the regulated social worker
18to respond has reason to believe is not groundless and, if proved true, would indicate
19more than a minor infraction as may be defined by the commission; or
SB158-AA1,23,2320 2. Investigative information that indicates that the regulated social worker
21represents an immediate threat to public health and safety, as may be defined by the
22commission, regardless of whether the regulated social worker has been notified and
23has had an opportunity to respond.
SB158-AA1,24,224 (g) “Data system” means a repository of information about licensees, including,
25continuing education, examination, licensure, current significant investigative

1information, disqualifying event, multistate license(s) and adverse action
2information or other information as required by the commission.
SB158-AA1,24,43 (h) “Domicile” means the jurisdiction in which the licensee resides and intends
4to remain indefinitely.
SB158-AA1,24,75 (i) “Disqualifying event” means any adverse action or incident which results
6in an encumbrance that disqualifies or makes the licensee ineligible to either obtain,
7retain or renew a multistate license.
SB158-AA1,24,108 (j) “Encumbrance” means a revocation or suspension of, or any limitation on,
9the full and unrestricted practice of social work licensed and regulated by a licensing
10authority.
SB158-AA1,24,1311 (k) “Executive committee” means a group of delegates elected or appointed to
12act on behalf of, and within the powers granted to them by, the compact and
13commission.
SB158-AA1,24,1514 (L) “Home state” means the member state that is the licensee's primary
15domicile.
SB158-AA1,24,1916 (m) “Impairment” means a condition(s) that may impair a practitioner's ability
17to engage in full and unrestricted practice as a regulated social worker without some
18type of intervention and may include alcohol and drug dependence, mental health
19impairment, and neurological or physical impairments.
SB158-AA1,24,2120 (n) “Licensee(s)” means an individual who currently holds a license from a state
21to practice as a regulated social worker.
SB158-AA1,24,2422 (o) “Licensing authority” means the board or agency of a member state, or
23equivalent, that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of regulated social
24workers.
SB158-AA1,25,2
1(p) “Member state” means a state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the
2United States of America that has enacted this compact.
SB158-AA1,25,53 (q) “Multistate authorization to practice” means a legally authorized privilege
4to practice, which is equivalent to a license, associated with a multistate license
5permitting the practice of social work in a remote state.
SB158-AA1,25,86 (r) “Multistate license” means a license to practice as a regulated social worker
7issued by a home state licensing authority that authorizes the regulated social
8worker to practice in all member states under multistate authorization to practice.
SB158-AA1,25,109 (s) “Qualifying national exam” means a national licensing examination
10approved by the commission.
SB158-AA1,25,1211 (t) “Regulated social worker” means any clinical, master's or bachelor's social
12worker licensed by a member state regardless of the title used by that member state.
SB158-AA1,25,1313 (u) “Remote state” means a member state other than the licensee's home state.
SB158-AA1,25,1614 (v) “Rule(s)” or “rule(s) of the commission” means a regulation or regulations
15duly promulgated by the commission, as authorized by the compact, that has the
16force of law.
SB158-AA1,25,1917 (w) “Single state license” means a social work license issued by any state that
18authorizes practice only within the issuing state and does not include multistate
19authorization to practice in any member state.
SB158-AA1,25,2520 (x) “Social work” or “social work services” means the application of social work
21theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or
22enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples,
23families, groups, organizations, and communities through the care and services
24provided by a regulated social worker as set forth in the member state's statutes and
25regulations in the state where the services are being provided.
SB158-AA1,26,2
1(y) “State” means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United
2States of America that regulates the practice of social work.
SB158-AA1,26,43 (z) “Unencumbered license” means a license that authorizes a regulated social
4worker to engage in the full and unrestricted practice of social work.
SB158-AA1,26,6 5(3) State participation in the compact. (a) To be eligible to participate in the
6compact, a potential member state must currently meet all of the following criteria:
SB158-AA1,26,87 1. License and regulate the practice of social work at either the clinical,
8master's, or bachelor's category.
SB158-AA1,26,99 2. Require applicants for licensure to graduate from a program that is:
SB158-AA1,26,1010 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority;
SB158-AA1,26,1411 b. Accredited, or in candidacy by an institution that subsequently becomes
12accredited, by an accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher
13Education Accreditation, or its successor; or the United States department of
14education; and
SB158-AA1,26,1515 c. Corresponds to the licensure sought as outlined in sub. (4).
SB158-AA1,26,1716 3. Require applicants for clinical licensure to complete a period of supervised
17practice.
SB158-AA1,26,1918 4. Have a mechanism in place for receiving, investigating, and adjudicating
19complaints about licensees.
SB158-AA1,26,2020 (b) To maintain membership in the compact a member state shall:
SB158-AA1,26,2321 1. Require that applicants for a multistate license pass a qualifying national
22exam for the corresponding category of multistate license sought as outlined in sub.
23(4).
SB158-AA1,26,2524 2. Participate fully in the commission's data system, including using the
25commission's unique identifier as defined in rules;
SB158-AA1,27,3
13. Notify the commission, in compliance with the terms of the compact and
2rules, of any adverse action or the availability of current significant investigative
3information regarding a licensee;
SB158-AA1,27,94 4. Implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of
5applicants for a multistate license. Such procedures shall include the submission of
6fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of
7obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the federal bureau
8of investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's criminal
9records.
SB158-AA1,27,1010 5. Comply with the rules of the commission;
SB158-AA1,27,1311 6. Require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet
12the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all
13other applicable home state laws;
SB158-AA1,27,1614 7. Authorize a licensee holding a multistate license in any member state to
15practice in accordance with the terms of the compact and rules of the commission;
16and
SB158-AA1,27,1717 8. Designate a delegate to participate in the commission meetings.
SB158-AA1,27,2418 (c) A member state meeting the requirements of pars. (a) and (b) shall designate
19the categories of social work licensure that are eligible for issuance of a multistate
20license for applicants in such member state. To the extent that any member state
21does not meet the requirements for participation in the compact at any particular
22category of social work licensure, such member state may choose, but is not obligated
23to, issue a multistate license to applicants that otherwise meet the requirements of
24sub. (4) for issuance of a multistate license in such category or categories of licensure.
SB158-AA1,27,2525 (d) The home state may charge a fee for granting the multistate license.
SB158-AA1,28,3
1(4) Social worker participation in the compact. (a) To be eligible for a
2multistate license under the terms and provisions of the compact, an applicant,
3regardless of category must:
SB158-AA1,28,44 1. Hold or be eligible for an active, unencumbered license in the home state;
SB158-AA1,28,55 2. Pay any applicable fees, including any state fee, for the multistate license;
SB158-AA1,28,96 3. Submit, in connection with an application for a multistate license,
7fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history
8record information from the federal bureau of investigation and the agency
9responsible for retaining that state's criminal records.
SB158-AA1,28,1210 4. Notify the home state of any adverse action, encumbrance, or restriction on
11any professional license taken by any member state or nonmember state within 30
12days from the date the action is taken.
SB158-AA1,28,1413 5. Meet any continuing competence requirements established by the home
14state;
SB158-AA1,28,1615 6. Abide by the laws, regulations, and applicable standards in the member state
16where the client is located at the time care is rendered.
SB158-AA1,28,1817 (b) An applicant for a clinical-category multistate license must meet all of the
18following requirements:
SB158-AA1,28,1919 1. Fulfill a competency requirement, which shall be satisfied by either:
SB158-AA1,28,2020 a. Passage of a clinical-category qualifying national exam; or
SB158-AA1,28,2421 b. Licensure of the applicant in their home state at the clinical category,
22beginning prior to such time as a qualifying national exam was required by the home
23state and accompanied by a period of continuous social work licensure thereafter, all
24of which may be further governed by the rules of the commission; or
SB158-AA1,29,2
1c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing competency requirements
2which the commission may determine by rule.
SB158-AA1,29,33 2. Attain at least a master's degree in social work from a program that is:
SB158-AA1,29,44 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority; and
SB158-AA1,29,75 b. Accredited, or in candidacy that subsequently becomes accredited, by an
6accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher Education
7Accreditation or its successor; or the United States department of education.
SB158-AA1,29,98 3. Fulfill a practice requirement, which shall be satisfied by demonstrating
9completion of either:
SB158-AA1,29,1110 a. A period of postgraduate supervised clinical practice equal to a minimum of
11three thousand hours; or
SB158-AA1,29,1312 b. A minimum of two years of full-time postgraduate supervised clinical
13practice; or
SB158-AA1,29,1514 c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing practice requirements which
15the commission may determine by rule.
SB158-AA1,29,1716 (c) An applicant for a master's-category multistate license must meet all of the
17following requirements:
SB158-AA1,29,1818 1. Fulfill a competency requirement, which shall be satisfied by either:
SB158-AA1,29,1919 a. Passage of a masters-category qualifying national exam;
SB158-AA1,29,2420 b. Licensure of the applicant in their home state at the master's category,
21beginning prior to such time as a qualifying national exam was required by the home
22state at the master's category and accompanied by a continuous period of social work
23licensure thereafter, all of which may be further governed by the rules of the
24commission; or
SB158-AA1,30,2
1c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing competency requirements
2which the commission may determine by rule.
SB158-AA1,30,33 2. Attain at least a master's degree in social work from a program that is:
SB158-AA1,30,44 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority; and
SB158-AA1,30,75 b. Accredited, or in candidacy that subsequently becomes accredited, by an
6accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher Education
7Accreditation or its successor; or the United States department of education.
SB158-AA1,30,98 (d) An applicant for a bachelor's-category multistate license must meet all of
9the following requirements:
SB158-AA1,30,1010 1. Fulfill a competency requirement, which shall be satisfied by either:
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