# Maryland SB 0174: Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact Maryland SB 0174, Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact, is a 2025 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Joanne C. Benson (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-04-08 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 10) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0174-2025RS - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Maryland SB 0174 - State: Maryland - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Interstate Social Work Licensure Compact - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2024-10-31 - Last action: 2025-04-08, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 10 - Sponsor: Joanne C. Benson (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Health Occupations, Committees and Commissions, Contracts -see also- Procurement, Discipline, Health Occupations -see also- (specific health occupations), Internet -see also- Internet Access, Interstate Affairs, Investigations and Inquiries -see also- Crim Bckgrnd Invest, Licenses -see also- AB Lic; Certifications; DrLic; Permits, Meetings -see also- Hearings; Open Government, Notices, Open Government, Records -see also- Land Records; Vital Records, Reports, Social Workers, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc. - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (173 yes, 7 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 10 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Military families can keep licensing home: benefit, low. Active-duty service members and their spouses with multistate social work licenses can designate a home state where they hold that license. They can keep that designation throughout the service member's active duty. This preserves their licensing home despite military moves. - Social workers gain lawful-conduct protections: benefit, low. A member state cannot discipline a social worker with multistate practice permission for conduct that was lawful in another member state. This protects workers against discipline based solely on lawful conduct in that other state. - License discipline can stop cross-state practice: cost, medium. Multistate license holders must report restrictions or adverse actions on any professional license to their home state within 30 days. This includes actions by member and nonmember states. Only the home state can discipline the multistate license itself; other member states can remove local practic… - Social workers can face compact fees: cost, low. The Compact Commission can charge fees to social workers who receive multistate licenses. It can also collect annual assessments from member states using a formula set by rule. Collections cover the approved operating budget only to the extent other revenue does not. The law sets no fee or assessme… - Social workers gain cross-state license access: mixed, medium. Eligible social workers can get a home-state license recognized across member states for the social work categories each state regulates. Applicants must meet degree, competency, continuing-education, and background-check rules and pay applicable fees. Clinical applicants need at least 3,000 superv… - License protections when states leave compact: mixed, low. Maryland's October 1, 2025 effective date is contingent on six other states passing substantially similar laws; the Compact activates at seven states. The Commission can deny entry for material constitutional conflicts or end membership by majority vote after an uncured default and exhausted compli… - Moving social workers must transfer licenses: mixed, low. Social workers moving between member states must immediately apply to the new home state, pay fees, and notify the old state. The new state checks that the prior license is active and unrestricted and requires fingerprint or other biometric background checks. It may also require its exam on state p… - Social worker records get shared safeguards: mixed, low. The Commission must maintain a shared licensing system and assign each multistate applicant a unique identifier. States must submit identifying details, license status, denials with dates and reasons, discipline, and significant current investigations, and monitor discipline reports. Alternative-pr… - States share social worker investigations: mixed, low. Member states must share investigation, litigation, and compliance records, and promptly report discipline for notice to all member states. Home states must give out-of-state reports equal weight, and states can use each other's findings while following their own procedures. A former home state mus… - Joint commission governs social worker licensing: mixed, low. Member states create a joint government commission to run the Compact, and state executive and judicial branches must enforce it. The Compact overrides conflicting state requirements only where they conflict. Commission rules have legal force the day after adoption unless set later, but courts can… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joanne C. Benson (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-01 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 127 | 7 | 2 | | 2025-02-27 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 46 | 0 | 1 | ## Actions (14) - 2025-04-08: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 10 - 2025-04-01: Returned Passed (Senate) - 2025-04-01: Third Reading Passed (127-7) (House) - 2025-03-28: Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed (House) - 2025-03-28: Favorable Report by Health and Government Operations (House) - 2025-03-15: Hearing 3/20 at 1:00 p.m. (House) - 2025-02-28: Referred Health and Government Operations (House) - 2025-02-27: Third Reading Passed (46-0) (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate) - 2025-02-25: Favorable with Amendments {933625/1 Adopted (Senate) - 2025-02-24: Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance (Senate) - 2025-01-14: Hearing 1/28 at 1:00 p.m. (Senate) - 2025-01-08: First Reading Finance (Senate) - 2024-10-31: Pre-filed (Senate) ## Bill text - Enacted, 2025-04-08: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_10_sb0174t.pdf) - Third Reading, 2025-02-25: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0174t.pdf) - First Reading, 2025-01-08: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0174f.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions (vetoed) - HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination Review Process (vetoed) - HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established (vetoed) - HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization (became law) - HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard (signed) ## Sources - [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/Chapters_noln/CH_10_sb0174t.pdf) - [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0174t.pdf) - [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2025RS/bills/sb/sb0174f.pdf) ## Related - [SB 0227: Workers' Compensation - Payment From Uninsured Employers' Fund - Revisions](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0227-2025RS) - [HB 0482: Occupational Licensing and Certification - Criminal History - Predetermination…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0482-2025RS) - [HB 0384: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0384-2025RS) - [SB 0157: Maryland Disability Service Animal Program - Established](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0157-2025RS) - [HB 1294: Commercial Law - Credit Regulation - Earned Wage Access and Credit Modernization](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB1294-2025RS) - [HB 0228: Maryland Veterans Trust – Assistance to Members of the Maryland National Guard](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0228-2025RS) - [Maryland bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland/bills) - [Maryland state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/maryland) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0174-2025RS (as of 2026-10-19).