This bill amends South Dakota law to establish a criminal background check requirement for individuals applying for a multistate license under the social work licensure compact. Specifically, it modifies section 36-26-13 to include the issuance of a multistate license alongside existing social work licenses. Additionally, a new section is introduced that mandates applicants for a multistate license to submit a full set of fingerprints to the board, which will then forward them to the Division of Criminal Investigation for both state and federal background checks.

The bill outlines that applicants must sign a release of information and pay any associated fees for the fingerprinting and background check process. It stipulates that the board will only consider the applicant's criminal history record information after the background check is completed and will not issue a multistate license until this information is received. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the board from disseminating any information obtained through this process to individuals not employed by the board.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/01/2026: 36-26-13