On March 19th, Governor Jay Inslee signed HB 1939 , which contained the Social Work Licensure Compact. This makes Washington the fourth state to enact the Social Work Compact. The primary sponsor for this bill was Representative Tina Orwall with 16 cosponsors.
At the bill signing, Gov. Jay Inslee explained that this bill would streamline the licensing process for social workers. He states, “Social Workers are critical to our health and behavioral healthcare system. Ensuring a robust network of licensed social workers is a key priority for Washington.”
The compact legislation is pending in 23 other states, and only needs to be enacted in 3 more before it becomes active. Virginia has passed the legislation and is awaiting the governor’s signature.