Pennsylvania SB 583: An Act authorizing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to join the Social Work Licensure Compact; and providing for the form of the compact.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 590
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 583
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PENNYCUICK, FONTANA, SAVAL, ARGALL, VOGEL,
PISCIOTTANO, COLEMAN, KIM, ROTHMAN, SCHWANK, COMITTA AND
MILLER, APRIL 9, 2025
REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE,
APRIL 9, 2025
AN ACT
Authorizing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to join the Social
Work Licensure Compact; and providing for the form of the
compact.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Social Work
Licensure Compact Act.
Section 2. Authority to execute compact.
The Governor, on behalf of the Commonwealth, is hereby
authorized to execute a compact in substantially the following
form with any one or more of the states of the United States,
and the General Assembly hereby signifies in advance its
approval and ratification of the compact:
SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE COMPACT
SECTION 1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Compact is to facilitate interstate
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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.
SECTION 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-
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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 non-disciplinary 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
Section 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 Section 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
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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
informatio