(h) 1. Upon request by a member state, the commission shall attempt to resolve disputes related to the compact that arise among member states and between member and non-member states.
2. The commission shall promulgate a rule providing for both mediation and binding dispute resolution for disputes as appropriate.
(i) 1. The commission, in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, shall enforce the provisions and rules of this compact.
2. By majority vote, the commission may initiate legal action in the United States district court for the District of Columbia or the federal district where the commission has its principal offices against a member state in default to enforce compliance with the provisions of the compact and its promulgated rules and bylaws. The relief sought may include both injunctive relief and damages. In the event judicial enforcement is necessary, the prevailing member shall be awarded all costs of such litigation, including reasonable attorney’s fees.
3. The remedies herein shall not be the exclusive remedies of the commission. The commission may pursue any other remedies available under federal or state law.
(13) Date of implementation of the counseling compact commission and associated rules, withdrawal, and amendment. (a) The compact shall come into effect on the date on which the compact statute is enacted into law in the 10th member state. The provisions, which become effective at that time, shall be limited to the powers granted to the commission relating to assembly and the promulgation of rules. Thereafter, the commission shall meet and exercise rule-making powers necessary to the implementation and administration of the compact.
(b) Any state that joins the compact subsequent to the commission’s initial adoption of the rules shall be subject to the rules as they exist on the date on which the compact becomes law in that state. Any rule that has been previously adopted by the commission shall have the full force and effect of law on the day the compact becomes law in that state.
(c) Any member state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same.
1. A member state’s withdrawal shall not take effect until 6 months after enactment of the repealing statute.
2. Withdrawal shall not affect the continuing requirement of the withdrawing state’s professional counseling licensing board to comply with the investigative and adverse action reporting requirements of this act prior to the effective date of withdrawal.
(d) Nothing contained in this compact shall be construed to invalidate or prevent any professional counseling licensure agreement or other cooperative arrangement between a member state and a non-member state that does not conflict with the provisions of this compact.
(e) This compact may be amended by the member states. No amendment to this compact shall become effective and binding upon any member state until it is enacted into the laws of all member states.
(14) Construction and severability. This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any member state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any member state, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining member states and in full force and effect as to the member state affected as to all severable matters.
(15) Binding effect of compact and other laws. (a) A licensee providing professional counseling services in a remote state under the privilege to practice shall adhere to the laws and regulations, including scope of practice, of the remote state.
(b) Nothing herein prevents the enforcement of any other law of a member state that is not inconsistent with the compact.
(c) Any laws in a member state in conflict with the compact are superseded to the extent of the conflict.
(d) Any lawful actions of the commission, including all rules and bylaws properly promulgated by the commission, are binding upon the member states.
(e) All permissible agreements between the commission and the member states are binding in accordance with their terms.
(f) In the event any provision of the compact exceeds the constitutional limits imposed on the legislature of any member state, the provision shall be ineffective to the extent of the conflict with the constitutional provision in question in that member state.
457.51 Implementation of the counseling compact. (1) In this section:
(a) “Examining board” means the marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, and social work examining board.
(b) “Privilege to practice” has the meaning given in s. 457.50 (2) (s).
(c) “Professional counselor section” means the professional counselor section of the examining board.
(2) The department may impose a fee for an individual to receive a privilege to practice as provided in s. 457.50 (3) (c).
(3) The professional counselor section may, by rule, require an individual applying for a license under s. 457.12 (2m) or an individual seeking a privilege to practice under s. 457.12 (3m) to meet a jurisprudence requirement in accordance with s. 457.50 (4) (a) 8., if such a requirement is imposed by the professional counselor section under s. 457.16 in order to obtain a license under s. 457.12 (1m).
(4) (a) An individual who is exercising the privilege to practice in this state shall comply with s. 440.03 (13) (am).
(b) Subject to s. 457.50 and any rules promulgated thereunder, ss. 440.20 to 440.22 and the rules promulgated under s. 440.03 (1) shall apply to an individual who is exercising the privilege to practice in this state in the same manner that they apply to holders of licenses issued under subch. I.
SB1,301Section 301. Subchapter III of chapter 457 [precedes 457.70] of the statutes is created to read: CHAPTER 457
SUBCHAPTER III
SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT
457.70 Social work licensure compact. (1) Purpose. The purpose of this compact is to facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers by improving public access to competent social work services. The compact preserves the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. This compact is designed to achieve the following objectives:
(a) Increase public access to social work services;
(b) Reduce overly burdensome and duplicative requirements associated with holding multiple licenses;
(c) Enhance the member states’ ability to protect the public’s health and safety;
(d) Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate practice;
(e) Promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the necessity for licenses in multiple states by providing for the mutual recognition of other member state licenses;
(f) Support military families;
(g) Facilitate the exchange of licensure and disciplinary information among member states;
(h) Authorize all member states to hold a regulated social worker accountable for abiding by a member state’s laws, regulations, and applicable professional standards in the member state in which the client is located at the time care is rendered; and
(i) Allow for the use of telehealth to facilitate increased access to regulated social work services.
(2) Definitions. As used in this compact, and except as otherwise provided, the following definitions shall apply:
(a) “Active military member” means any individual with full-time duty status in the active armed forces of the United States including members of the national guard and reserve.
(b) “Adverse action” means any administrative, civil, equitable or criminal action permitted by a state’s laws which is imposed by a licensing authority or other authority against a regulated social worker, including actions against an individual’s license or multistate authorization to practice such as revocation, suspension, probation, monitoring of the licensee, limitation on the licensee’s practice, or any other encumbrance on licensure affecting a regulated social worker’s authorization to practice, including issuance of a cease and desist action.
(c) “Alternative program” means a nondisciplinary monitoring or practice remediation process approved by a licensing authority to address practitioners with an impairment.
(d) “Charter member states” - member states who have enacted legislation to adopt this compact where such legislation predates the effective date of this compact as described in sub. (14).
(e) “Compact commission” or “commission” means the government agency whose membership consists of all states that have enacted this compact, which is known as the social work licensure compact commission, as described in sub. (10), and which shall operate as an instrumentality of the member states.
(f) “Current significant investigative information” means:
1. Investigative information that a licensing authority, after a preliminary inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity for the regulated social worker to respond has reason to believe is not groundless and, if proved true, would indicate more than a minor infraction as may be defined by the commission; or
2. Investigative information that indicates that the regulated social worker represents an immediate threat to public health and safety, as may be defined by the commission, regardless of whether the regulated social worker has been notified and has had an opportunity to respond.
(g) “Data system” means a repository of information about licensees, including, continuing education, examination, licensure, current significant investigative information, disqualifying event, multistate license(s) and adverse action information or other information as required by the commission.
(h) “Disqualifying event” means any adverse action or incident which results in an encumbrance that disqualifies or makes the licensee ineligible to either obtain, retain or renew a multistate license.
(i) “Domicile” means the jurisdiction in which the licensee resides and intends to remain indefinitely.
(j) “Encumbrance” means a revocation or suspension of, or any limitation on, the full and unrestricted practice of social work licensed and regulated by a licensing authority.
(k) “Executive committee” means a group of delegates elected or appointed to act on behalf of, and within the powers granted to them by, the compact and commission.
(L) “Home state” means the member state that is the licensee’s primary domicile.
(m) “Impairment” means a condition(s) that may impair a practitioner’s ability to engage in full and unrestricted practice as a regulated social worker without some type of intervention and may include alcohol and drug dependence, mental health impairment, and neurological or physical impairments.
(n) “Licensee(s)” means an individual who currently holds a license from a state to practice as a regulated social worker.
(o) “Licensing authority” means the board or agency of a member state, or equivalent, that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of regulated social workers.
(p) “Member state” means a state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States of America that has enacted this compact.
(q) “Multistate authorization to practice” means a legally authorized privilege to practice, which is equivalent to a license, associated with a multistate license permitting the practice of social work in a remote state.
(r) “Multistate license” means a license to practice as a regulated social worker issued by a home state licensing authority that authorizes the regulated social worker to practice in all member states under multistate authorization to practice.
(s) “Qualifying national exam” means a national licensing examination approved by the commission.
(t) “Regulated social worker” means any clinical, master’s or bachelor’s social worker licensed by a member state regardless of the title used by that member state.
(u) “Remote state” means a member state other than the licensee’s home state.
(v) “Rule(s)” or “rule(s) of the commission” means a regulation or regulations duly promulgated by the commission, as authorized by the compact, that has the force of law.
(w) “Single state license” means a social work license issued by any state that authorizes practice only within the issuing state and does not include multistate authorization to practice in any member state.
(x) “Social work” or “social work services” means the application of social work theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples, families, groups, organizations, and communities through the care and services provided by a regulated social worker as set forth in the member state’s statutes and regulations in the state where the services are being provided.
(y) “State” means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United States of America that regulates the practice of social work.
(z) “Unencumbered license” means a license that authorizes a regulated social worker to engage in the full and unrestricted practice of social work.
(3) State participation in the compact. (a) To be eligible to participate in the compact, a potential member state must currently meet all of the following criteria:
1. License and regulate the practice of social work at either the clinical, master’s, or bachelor’s category.
2. Require applicants for licensure to graduate from a program that is:
a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority;
b. Accredited, or in candidacy by an institution that subsequently becomes accredited, by an accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, or its successor; or the United States department of education; and
c. Corresponds to the licensure sought as outlined in sub. (4).
3. Require applicants for clinical licensure to complete a period of supervised practice.
4. Have a mechanism in place for receiving, investigating, and adjudicating complaints about licensees.
(b) To maintain membership in the compact a member state shall:
1. Require that applicants for a multistate license pass a qualifying national exam for the corresponding category of multistate license sought as outlined in sub. (4).
2. Participate fully in the commission’s data system, including using the commission’s unique identifier as defined in rules;
3. Notify the commission, in compliance with the terms of the compact and rules, of any adverse action or the availability of current significant investigative information regarding a licensee;
4. Implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of applicants for a multistate license. Such procedures shall include the submission of fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of obtaining an applicant’s criminal history record information from the federal bureau of investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state’s criminal records.
5. Comply with the rules of the commission;
6. Require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet the home state’s qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all other applicable home state laws;
7. Authorize a licensee holding a multistate license in any member state to practice in accordance with the terms of the compact and rules of the commission; and
8. Designate a delegate to participate in the commission meetings.
(c) A member state meeting the requirements of pars. (a) and (b) shall designate the categories of social work licensure that are eligible for issuance of a multistate license for applicants in such member state. To the extent that any member state does not meet the requirements for participation in the compact at any particular category of social work licensure, such member state may choose, but is not obligated to, issue a multistate license to applicants that otherwise meet the requirements of sub. (4) for issuance of a multistate license in such category or categories of licensure.
(d) The home state may charge a fee for granting the multistate license.
