1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 HOUSE BILL 3015 By: Boatman
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to professions and occupations;
7 amending 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1261.1, which relates
8 to social worker licensing requirements; modifying
8 certain schooling qualifications; and providing an
9 effective date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1261.1, is
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14 amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 1261.1 A. To obtain a license under the Social
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16 Worker's Licensing Act, an applicant shall:
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17 1. Submit a written application in a form prescribed by the
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18 State Board of Licensed Social Workers;
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19 2. Have attained the age of majority;
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20 3. Have graduated and received a degree in social work from an
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21 approved social work program;
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22 4. Have completed any necessary post graduate experience and
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23 supervision in the practice of social work;
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 1 5. Have passed the necessary examination and paid all fees
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2 required by the Board; and
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3 6. Submit to a national criminal history record check, as
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4 defined by Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The
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5 costs associated with the national criminal history record check
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6 shall be paid by the applicant and submitted to the Board at the
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7 time of application. With the required fee, the applicant shall
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8 provide to the Board two classifiable sets of fingerprints to be
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9 provided to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
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10 B. If the results of the national criminal history record check
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11 required by subsection A of this section reveal that the applicant
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12 has been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, any
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13 felony crime that substantially relates to the occupation of a
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14 social worker and poses a reasonable threat to public safety, the
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15 individual's application for licensure may be disapproved and no
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16 further action shall be taken on the application.
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17 C. Upon certification by the Board, the Board shall authorize
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18 the issuance of social work licenses to persons who qualify as
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19 follows:
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20 1. As a licensed social work associate (LSWA) who has a
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21 baccalaureate degree in social work from an accredited institution
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22 or an approved social work program or both and has passed the
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23 examination provided for under these provisions or who has a
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24 doctoral or master's degree in social work from an institution with
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 1 a program accredited by an approved social work program and has
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2 passed the examination provided for under these provisions;
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3 2. As a licensed master's social worker (LMSW) who has a
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4 master's degree in social work from an accredited institution or an
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5 approved social work program or both and has passed the examination
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6 provided for under the Social Worker's Licensing Act;
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7 3. As a licensed social worker (LSW) who has a master's degree
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8 in social work from an accredited institution or an approved social
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9 work program or both and has two (2) years of full-time three
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10 thousand (3,000) hours of postgraduate experience in the practice of
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11 social work under professional supervision of a person licensed
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12 under those provisions, and who has passed the examination provided
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13 for under the provisions of the Social Worker's Licensing Act;
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14 4. As a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who has a
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15 master's degree in social work from an accredited institution or an
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16 approved social work program or both and has two (2) years of full-
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17 time three thousand (3,000) hours of postgraduate experience in the
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18 practice of clinical social work under professional supervision of a
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19 person licensed by the Social Worker's Licensing Act, and who has
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20 passed the examination provided for under the Social Worker's
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21 Licensing Act; and
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22 5. As a licensed social worker with administration specialty
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23 (LSW-ADM) who has a master's degree in social work from an
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24 accredited institution or an approved social work program or both
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 1 and has two (2) years of full-time three thousand (3,000) hours of
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2 postgraduate experience in the practice of administrative social
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3 work under professional supervision of a person licensed by the
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4 Social Worker's Licensing Act, and who has passed the examination
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5 provided for under the Social Worker's Licensing Act.
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6 D. Applicants who have been licensed as an LSWA, LMSW, LSW,
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7 LCSW or LSW-ADM in good standing in another state for a minimum of
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8 three (3) years continually since the time of initial full licensure
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9 post-provisional term and comply with all other state requirements
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10 shall be licensed by the Board.
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11 E. No person may engage in the private practice of clinical
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12 social work unless that person:
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13 1. Is licensed under the Social Worker's Licensing Act as a
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14 licensed clinical social worker (LCSW); and
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15 2. Continues to meet continuing education requirements set by
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16 the Board.
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17 F. No person may engage in an independent social work practice
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18 unless that person:
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19 1. Is licensed under the Social Worker's Licensing Act as a
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20 licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed social worker with
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21 administration specialty (LSW-ADM) or licensed social worker (LSW).
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22 This specifically and intentionally excludes licensed social work
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23 associates (LSWA) and licensed masters social workers (LMSW); and
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 1 2. Continues to meet continuing education requirements set by
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2 the Board.
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3 G. Any qualified person who files by February 1, 2012, a sworn
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4 statement with the Board stating that the person has met the
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5 definition of a qualified person under this section shall, upon
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6 approval of the statement by the Board, be entitled to engage in the
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7 independent practice of social work without having to meet the two-
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8 year postgraduate supervision requirement specified in paragraphs 3,
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9 4 and 5 of subsection C of this section.
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10 H. Any person seeking to pursue postgraduate supervision for
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11 the licensed social worker (LSW), licensed social worker with
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12 administration specialty (LSW-ADM), or licensed clinical social
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13 worker (LCSW) must hold licensure status of licensed social work
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14 associate (LSWA) or licensed masters social worker (LMSW) prior to
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15 board approval of postgraduate supervision for licensure as
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16 specified in paragraphs 3, 4 and 5 of subsection C of this section.
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17 I. As used in this section, "qualified person" means a person
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18 who:
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19 1. Currently holds an active social worker license from the
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20 Board; and
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21 2. Has held a social worker license from the Board continuously
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22 during the ten-year period immediately prior to November 1, 2011.
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23 J. H. As used in this section:
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 1 1. "Substantially relates" means the nature of criminal conduct
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2 for which the person was convicted has a direct bearing on the
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3 fitness or ability to perform one or more of the duties or
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4 responsibilities necessarily related to the occupation; and
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5 2. "Poses a reasonable threat" means the nature of criminal
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6 conduct for which the person was convicted involved an act or threat
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7 of harm against another and has a bearing on the fitness or ability
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8 to serve the public or work with others in the occupation.
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9 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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11 59-2-9820 SW 01/10/24
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