Senate Bill No. 556

(By Senators M. Hall and Ferns)

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[Introduced February 23, 2015; referred to the Committee on Government Organization.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact §30-30-16 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requirements for provisional social worker licenses.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That §30-30-16 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 30. SOCIAL WORKERS.

§30-30-16. Provisional License to practice as a social worker.

            (a) To be eligible for a provisional license to practice as a social worker, the applicant must:

            (1) Submit an application to the board;

            (2) Be at least eighteen years of age;

            (3) Be of good moral character;

            (4) Have a baccalaureate degree; in a related field, as provided by legislative rule;

            (5)Have obtained regular supervised employment, or the reasonable promise of regular supervised employment contingent upon receiving a provisional license, in a critical social work workforce shortage position, area or setting requiring a social work license: Provided, That such employment shall may not be as an independent practitioner, contracted employee, sole proprietor, consultant, or other nonregular employment;

            (6) Have satisfied the board that he or she merits the public trust by providing the board with three letters of recommendation from persons not related to the applicant;

            (7) Not be an alcohol or drug abuser, as these terms are defined in section eleven, article one-a, chapter twenty-seven of this code: Provided, That an applicant in an active recovery process, which may, in the discretion of the board, be evidenced by participation in an acknowledged substance abuse treatment and/or recovery program may be considered;

            (8) Not have been convicted of a felony in any jurisdiction within five years preceding the date of application for license which conviction remains unreversed;

            (9) Not have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony in any jurisdiction if the offense for which he or she was convicted related to the practice of social work, which conviction remains unreversed; and

            (10) Meet any other requirements established by the board.

            (b) A provisionally licensed social worker may become a licensed social worker, by completing the following:

            (1) Be continuously employed for four years as a social worker and supervised. The board shall promulgate by legislative rule the supervision requirements;

            (2) Complete twelve credit hours of core social work study from a program accredited by the council on social work education, as defined by legislative rule, within the four-year provisional license period;

(3)(2) Complete continuing education as required by legislative rule; and

            (4)(3) Pass an examination approved by the board.

            (c) A provisionally licensed social worker or a person previously licensed as a provisionally licensed social worker may not reapply for licensure through this process for a period of one year from the time the process set forth in this section is stopped, if the process is not completed.

            NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to clarify the exemptions provided by statute for Social Work Licensing.

            Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.