§ 40-63-510 — Purpose.

(A) The purpose of this compact is to facilitate interstate practice of regulated social workers with the goal of improving public access to competent social work services. The compact seeks to preserve the regulatory authority of states to protect public health and safety through the current system of state licensure. (B) This compact is designed to achieve the following objectives: (1) increase public access to social work services by providing for the mutual recognition of other member state licenses; (2) enhance the member states' ability to protect the public's health and safety; (3) encourage the cooperation of member states in regulating multistate practice; (4) support military families; (5) facilitate the exchange of licensure and disciplinary information among member states; (6) authorize all member states to hold a regulated social worker accountable for abiding by the member state's scope of practice in the member state in which the client is located at the time care is rendered; (7) allow for the use of telehealth to facilitate increased access to regulated social work services; (8) support the uniformity of social work licensure requirements throughout the states to promote public safety and access to services; and (9) promote mobility and address workforce shortages by eliminating the necessity for licenses in multiple states.

Legislative History

HISTORY: 2025 Act No. 66 (H.3752), SECTION 2, eff May 22, 2025. Editor's Note 2025 Act No. 66, SECTION 1, provides as follows: "SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the 'Social Work Interstate Compact Act.'"