In 1998, I introduced HB 349 that prohibited the use of the title 'social worker' without a license. The intent was to promote, preserve and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public through the licensure of qualified social workers. In 1999, the Division of Family and Youth Services found that the restrictions were creating hiring problems and they requested some changes. Experience has shown that the requirements for social workers within the state and private sector are too restrictive. There were problems due to the wide turnover of social workers, the limited pool of qualified applicants, and the difficulty for applicants to take the required licensing exam.
More time is necessary for implementation of the law.
For this reason I am introducing HB 382 .