MississippiSB 27272025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Social Work Licensure Compact; enact.

Sponsored By: Charles Younger (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Public Health and Human ServicesPublic Health and Welfare

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 6 mixed.

Social workers gain multistate practice access

Beginning July 1, 2025, Mississippi joins the Social Work Licensure Compact, which takes effect upon the seventh state's enactment. Eligible social workers get a home-state license recognized by other member states, including for telehealth. Each home state chooses which bachelor's, master's, and clinical license categories it offers. Member states must meet shared education, examination, clinical supervision, complaint-handling, and oversight standards. Mississippi recognizes compact privileges for practice, titles, and advertising, and allows title use under board-approved supervision.

Military families can keep licensing home

Active-duty service members and their spouses can keep the home state where they hold a multistate social-work license. This protection lasts during the service member's active-duty period. It lets qualifying military families retain that licensing home-state designation when they move.

Multistate licensees can face commission fees

The compact commission can charge multistate licensees fees and member states annual assessments for operations and staff. It can collect only the part of its approved budget that other revenue does not cover. A commission rule divides the state assessments. The law sets no fee or assessment amounts.

Social workers face multistate license requirements

Applicants need an active, unrestricted home-state license, applicable fees, and fingerprints or other biometric data for FBI and state checks. Each license category requires a qualifying social-work degree and an exam or an accepted licensing-equivalence route. Clinical applicants need a qualifying master's degree plus 3,000 supervised postgraduate hours or two full-time years, unless approved equivalents apply. Licensees follow home-state renewal and continuing-competence rules and must report adverse license actions or restrictions within 30 days. They must follow practice laws and standards where the client is located; conflicting state requirements yield to the compact.

Social workers face coordinated state discipline

Only the home state can discipline the multistate license; other states can restrict practice locally, following their laws and due process. Home-state restrictions pause practice in other member states until the restrictions end and the order's conditions are met. The home state applies its law to reported conduct and finishes pending investigations even after a worker moves. States can charge investigation and case costs after an adverse action only when state law allows. Mississippi retains title-misuse misdemeanor fines: up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $5,000 thereafter.

Moving social workers must update licenses

Social workers can keep multistate access after moving between member states through license reissuance. They must immediately apply in the new home state, pay applicable fees, and notify the former home state. The new state checks eligibility and criminal history and can require its initial-license state-law requirements. Workers who do not qualify, or move to a nonmember state, must use that state's single-state licensing process. Only one home-state multistate license is allowed at a time; multiple single-state licenses remain allowed.

State exits can end multistate access

A state can leave by repealing the compact; withdrawal takes effect 180 days after enactment, with required reporting continuing until then. It must recognize compact licenses for at least 180 days after notifying licensees. The commission can terminate membership after an uncured default, exhausted remedies, and a majority vote of state delegates. A terminated state loses compact benefits but must recognize compact licenses for at least six months after notice. Defaulting states can appeal in federal court; the compact also provides enforcement and dispute-resolution processes.

Legal claims against compact officials limited

Commission officials and staff receive civil immunity for acts within their duties, or reasonably believed to be within them. Intentional, willful, or wanton misconduct is not protected. The commission must provide defense and cover qualifying settlements and judgments. Only member states, not individuals or other groups, can bring actions to enforce the compact against the commission. These protections do not reduce social workers' liability for malpractice or misconduct.

States share social worker licensing records

The commission must maintain a shared licensing system and give each multistate applicant a unique identifier. States must submit license status, denials, disciplinary actions, alternative-program participation, and significant investigation information as commission rules require. States can investigate jointly and must share relevant investigation, court, and compliance materials for compact investigations. Current significant investigation information is available only to member states. Records expunged under federal law or the contributing state's law must be removed.

Interstate commission sets social worker rules

A joint commission runs the compact, with one voting delegate per member state; state executive branches and courts must enforce it. Commission rules carry legal force the next day or later, without Mississippi's state rulemaking process. Regular rules require 30 days' public notice and a public hearing; emergency rules allow 48 hours' notice and require standard review within 90 days. State legislatures can reject adopted rules within four years, removing their force across member states. In Mississippi, a court finding makes a commission rule ineffective to the extent it conflicts with state social-work laws or standards.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Charles Younger
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 219 • No: 0

Senate vote • 3/20/2025

Concurred in Amend From House

Yes: 51 • No: 0

House vote • 2/27/2025

Passed As Amended

Yes: 117 • No: 0

Senate vote • 2/13/2025