AB382,23,77 chapter 457
AB382,23,88 Subchapter III
AB382,23,99 SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT
AB382,23,15 10457.70 Social work licensure compact. (1) Purpose. The purpose of this
11compact is to facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers by improving
12public access to competent social work services. The compact preserves the
13regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current
14system of state licensure. This compact is designed to achieve the following
15objectives:
AB382,23,1616 (a) Increase public access to social work services;
AB382,23,1817 (b) Reduce overly burdensome and duplicative requirements associated with
18holding multiple licenses;
AB382,23,1919 (c) Enhance the member states' ability to protect the public's health and safety;
AB382,23,2120 (d) Encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate
21practice;
AB382,23,2422 (e) Promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the
23necessity for licenses in multiple states by providing for the mutual recognition of
24other member state licenses;
AB382,23,2525 (f) Support military families;
AB382,24,2
1(g) Facilitate the exchange of licensure and disciplinary information among
2member states;
AB382,24,63 (h) Authorize all member states to hold a regulated social worker accountable
4for abiding by a member state's laws, regulations, and applicable professional
5standards in the member state in which the client is located at the time care is
6rendered; and
AB382,24,87 (i) Allow for the use of telehealth to facilitate increased access to regulated
8social work services.
AB382,24,10 9(2) Definitions. As used in this compact, and except as otherwise provided, the
10following definitions shall apply:
AB382,24,1311 (a) “Active military member” means any individual with full-time duty status
12in the active armed forces of the United States including members of the national
13guard and reserve.
AB382,24,2014 (b) “Adverse action” means any administrative, civil, equitable or criminal
15action permitted by a state's laws which is imposed by a licensing authority or other
16authority against a regulated social worker, including actions against an individual's
17license or multistate authorization to practice such as revocation, suspension,
18probation, monitoring of the licensee, limitation on the licensee's practice, or any
19other encumbrance on licensure affecting a regulated social worker's authorization
20to practice, including issuance of a cease and desist action.
AB382,24,2321 (c) “Alternative program” means a nondisciplinary monitoring or practice
22remediation process approved by a licensing authority to address practitioners with
23an impairment.
AB382,25,3
1(d) “Charter member states” - member states who have enacted legislation to
2adopt this compact where such legislation predates the effective date of this compact
3as described in sub. (14).
AB382,25,74 (e) “Compact commission” or “commission” means the government agency
5whose membership consists of all states that have enacted this compact, which is
6known as the social work licensure compact commission, as described in sub. (10),
7and which shall operate as an instrumentality of the member states.
AB382,25,88 (f) “Current significant investigative information” means:
AB382,25,129 1. Investigative information that a licensing authority, after a preliminary
10inquiry that includes notification and an opportunity for the regulated social worker
11to respond has reason to believe is not groundless and, if proved true, would indicate
12more than a minor infraction as may be defined by the commission; or
AB382,25,1613 2. Investigative information that indicates that the regulated social worker
14represents an immediate threat to public health and safety, as may be defined by the
15commission, regardless of whether the regulated social worker has been notified and
16has had an opportunity to respond.
AB382,25,2017 (g) “Data system” means a repository of information about licensees, including,
18continuing education, examination, licensure, current significant investigative
19information, disqualifying event, multistate license(s) and adverse action
20information or other information as required by the commission.
AB382,25,2221 (h) “Domicile” means the jurisdiction in which the licensee resides and intends
22to remain indefinitely.
AB382,25,2523 (i) “Disqualifying event” means any adverse action or incident which results
24in an encumbrance that disqualifies or makes the licensee ineligible to either obtain,
25retain or renew a multistate license.
AB382,26,3
1(j) “Encumbrance” means a revocation or suspension of, or any limitation on,
2the full and unrestricted practice of social work licensed and regulated by a licensing
3authority.
AB382,26,64 (k) “Executive committee” means a group of delegates elected or appointed to
5act on behalf of, and within the powers granted to them by, the compact and
6commission.
AB382,26,87 (L) “Home state” means the member state that is the licensee's primary
8domicile.
AB382,26,129 (m) “Impairment” means a condition(s) that may impair a practitioner's ability
10to engage in full and unrestricted practice as a regulated social worker without some
11type of intervention and may include alcohol and drug dependence, mental health
12impairment, and neurological or physical impairments.
AB382,26,1413 (n) “Licensee(s)” means an individual who currently holds a license from a state
14to practice as a regulated social worker.
AB382,26,1715 (o) “Licensing authority” means the board or agency of a member state, or
16equivalent, that is responsible for the licensing and regulation of regulated social
17workers.
AB382,26,1918 (p) “Member state” means a state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the
19United States of America that has enacted this compact.
AB382,26,2220 (q) “Multistate authorization to practice” means a legally authorized privilege
21to practice, which is equivalent to a license, associated with a multistate license
22permitting the practice of social work in a remote state.
AB382,26,2523 (r) “Multistate license” means a license to practice as a regulated social worker
24issued by a home state licensing authority that authorizes the regulated social
25worker to practice in all member states under multistate authorization to practice.
AB382,27,2
1(s) “Qualifying national exam” means a national licensing examination
2approved by the commission.
AB382,27,43 (t) “Regulated social worker” means any clinical, master's or bachelor's social
4worker licensed by a member state regardless of the title used by that member state.
AB382,27,55 (u) “Remote state” means a member state other than the licensee's home state.
AB382,27,86 (v) “Rule(s)” or “rule(s) of the commission” means a regulation or regulations
7duly promulgated by the commission, as authorized by the compact, that has the
8force of law.
AB382,27,119 (w) “Single state license” means a social work license issued by any state that
10authorizes practice only within the issuing state and does not include multistate
11authorization to practice in any member state.
AB382,27,1712 (x) “Social work” or “social work services” means the application of social work
13theory, knowledge, methods, ethics, and the professional use of self to restore or
14enhance social, psychosocial, or biopsychosocial functioning of individuals, couples,
15families, groups, organizations, and communities through the care and services
16provided by a regulated social worker as set forth in the member state's statutes and
17regulations in the state where the services are being provided.
AB382,27,1918 (y) “State” means any state, commonwealth, district, or territory of the United
19States of America that regulates the practice of social work.
AB382,27,2120 (z) “Unencumbered license” means a license that authorizes a regulated social
21worker to engage in the full and unrestricted practice of social work.
AB382,27,23 22(3) State participation in the compact. (a) To be eligible to participate in the
23compact, a potential member state must currently meet all of the following criteria:
AB382,27,2524 1. License and regulate the practice of social work at either the clinical,
25master's, or bachelor's category.
AB382,28,1
12. Require applicants for licensure to graduate from a program that is:
AB382,28,22 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority;
AB382,28,63 b. Accredited, or in candidacy by an institution that subsequently becomes
4accredited, by an accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher
5Education Accreditation, or its successor; or the United States department of
6education; and
AB382,28,77 c. Corresponds to the licensure sought as outlined in sub. (4).
AB382,28,98 3. Require applicants for clinical licensure to complete a period of supervised
9practice.
AB382,28,1110 4. Have a mechanism in place for receiving, investigating, and adjudicating
11complaints about licensees.
AB382,28,1212 (b) To maintain membership in the compact a member state shall:
AB382,28,1513 1. Require that applicants for a multistate license pass a qualifying national
14exam for the corresponding category of multistate license sought as outlined in sub.
15(4).
AB382,28,1716 2. Participate fully in the commission's data system, including using the
17commission's unique identifier as defined in rules;
AB382,28,2018 3. Notify the commission, in compliance with the terms of the compact and
19rules, of any adverse action or the availability of current significant investigative
20information regarding a licensee;
AB382,29,221 4. Implement procedures for considering the criminal history records of
22applicants for a multistate license. Such procedures shall include the submission of
23fingerprints or other biometric-based information by applicants for the purpose of
24obtaining an applicant's criminal history record information from the federal bureau

1of investigation and the agency responsible for retaining that state's criminal
2records.
AB382,29,33 5. Comply with the rules of the commission;
AB382,29,64 6. Require an applicant to obtain or retain a license in the home state and meet
5the home state's qualifications for licensure or renewal of licensure, as well as all
6other applicable home state laws;
AB382,29,97 7. Authorize a licensee holding a multistate license in any member state to
8practice in accordance with the terms of the compact and rules of the commission;
9and
AB382,29,1010 8. Designate a delegate to participate in the commission meetings.
AB382,29,1711 (c) A member state meeting the requirements of pars. (a) and (b) shall designate
12the categories of social work licensure that are eligible for issuance of a multistate
13license for applicants in such member state. To the extent that any member state
14does not meet the requirements for participation in the compact at any particular
15category of social work licensure, such member state may choose, but is not obligated
16to, issue a multistate license to applicants that otherwise meet the requirements of
17sub. (4) for issuance of a multistate license in such category or categories of licensure.
AB382,29,1818 (d) The home state may charge a fee for granting the multistate license.
AB382,29,21 19(4) Social worker participation in the compact. (a) To be eligible for a
20multistate license under the terms and provisions of the compact, an applicant,
21regardless of category must:
AB382,29,2222 1. Hold or be eligible for an active, unencumbered license in the home state;
AB382,29,2323 2. Pay any applicable fees, including any state fee, for the multistate license;
AB382,30,224 3. Submit, in connection with an application for a multistate license,
25fingerprints or other biometric data for the purpose of obtaining criminal history

1record information from the federal bureau of investigation and the agency
2responsible for retaining that state's criminal records.
AB382,30,53 4. Notify the home state of any adverse action, encumbrance, or restriction on
4any professional license taken by any member state or nonmember state within 30
5days from the date the action is taken.
AB382,30,76 5. Meet any continuing competence requirements established by the home
7state;
AB382,30,98 6. Abide by the laws, regulations, and applicable standards in the member state
9where the client is located at the time care is rendered.
AB382,30,1110 (b) An applicant for a clinical-category multistate license must meet all of the
11following requirements:
AB382,30,1212 2. Fulfill a competency requirement, which shall be satisfied by either:
AB382,30,1313 a. Passage of a clinical-category qualifying national exam; or
AB382,30,1714 b. Licensure of the applicant in their home state at the clinical category,
15beginning prior to such time as a qualifying national exam was required by the home
16state and accompanied by a period of continuous social work licensure thereafter, all
17of which may be further governed by the rules of the commission; or
AB382,30,1918 c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing competency requirements
19which the commission may determine by rule.
AB382,30,2020 3. Attain at least a master's degree in social work from a program that is:
AB382,30,2121 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority; and
AB382,30,2422 b. Accredited, or in candidacy that subsequently becomes accredited, by an
23accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher Education
24Accreditation or its successor; or the United States department of education.
AB382,31,2
14. Fulfill a practice requirement, which shall be satisfied by demonstrating
2completion of either:
AB382,31,43 a. A period of postgraduate supervised clinical practice equal to a minimum of
4three thousand hours; or
AB382,31,65 b. A minimum of two years of full-time postgraduate supervised clinical
6practice; or
AB382,31,87 c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing practice requirements which
8the commission may determine by rule.
AB382,31,109 (c) An applicant for a master's-category multistate license must meet all of the
10following requirements:
AB382,31,1111 1. Fulfill a competency requirement, which shall be satisfied by either:
AB382,31,1212 a. Passage of a masters-category qualifying national exam;
AB382,31,1713 b. Licensure of the applicant in their home state at the master's category,
14beginning prior to such time as a qualifying national exam was required by the home
15state at the master's category and accompanied by a continuous period of social work
16licensure thereafter, all of which may be further governed by the rules of the
17commission; or
AB382,31,1918 c. The substantial equivalency of the foregoing competency requirements
19which the commission may determine by rule.
AB382,31,2020 2. Attain at least a master's degree in social work from a program that is:
AB382,31,2121 a. Operated by a college or university recognized by the licensing authority; and
AB382,31,2422 b. Accredited, or in candidacy that subsequently becomes accredited, by an
23accrediting agency recognized by either the Council for Higher Education
24Accreditation or its successor; or the United States department of education.
AB382,32,2
1(d) An applicant for a bachelor's-category multistate license must meet all of
2the following requirements:
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