On April 12th, 2024, Governor Laura Kelly signed HB 2484 making Kansas the seventh state to enact the social work Compact. The compact has also been enacted in Missouri, South Dakota, Washington, Utah, Kentucky, Virginia, and Kansas. This marks a significant milestone in the development process because the compact specifies that the compact will come into effect upon enactment of the seventh member state.
There are an additional 20 states with active compact legislation. For a full list of states look under the compact map tab. The growth of the compact and rapid rate of state adoption is a testament to the urgent need for licensure mobility in social work.
While the social work compact legislation specifies that the compact needs seven member states to become active, social workers cannot yet practice in other member states. The implementation process for the compact will take approximately 18-24 months before social workers can begin applying for multistate licenses.
The social work compact seeks to benefit social workers by enhancing their mobility and employment opportunities, improving continuity of care, and allowing for expanded use of telehealth technologies.