An Act to Update the Requirements for Social Worker Licensure
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2074
Sponsors: MASTRACCIO
Amends: 32 MRSA §7001-A, 32 MRSA §7051, 32 MRSA §7053, 32 MRSA §7053-A, 32 MRSA §7060

Legislative Document
No. 2074
H.P. 1387
House of Representatives, December 17, 2025
An Act to Update the Requirements for Social Worker Licensure
Submitted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation pursuant to Joint 
Rule 203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 15, 2025.  Referred to the Committee on 
Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered 
printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §7001-A, sub-§7-A is enacted to read:
7-A.  Licensed master social worker - conditional clinical.  "Licensed master social 
worker - conditional clinical" means a person who has met the educational requirements as 
a licensed clinical social worker and is working to meet the consultation and the social 
work experience requirements of this chapter.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §7001-A, sub-§8-A is enacted to read:
8-A.  Licensed social worker - conditional.  "Licensed social worker - conditional" 
means a person who has met the educational requirements as a licensed social worker and 
is working to meet the consultation and the social work experience requirements of this 
chapter.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §7051, as amended by PL 1985, c. 736, §9, is further amended to 
read:
§7051.  License required
In order to safeguard the life, health and welfare of the people of this State, any person 
practicing or offering to practice as a certified social worker - independent practice or 
licensed clinical, licensed master or licensed social worker shall be social work under this 
chapter is required to submit evidence to the board that he the person is qualified to so 
practice and shall must be licensed as provided in this subchapter.
The board may grant a conditional license to any person eligible to take the 
examination for licensure while waiting to sit for the examination or to any person who is 
waiting to retake the examination according to rules issued by the board.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §7053, first ¶, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. V, §7, is 
further amended to read:
To be eligible for a license to practice social work at any level, an applicant must be at 
least 18 years of age and must satisfactorily pass any examination as the board may 
prescribe by its rules. Each applicant, must demonstrate trustworthiness and competence to 
engage in the practice of social work in such a manner as to safeguard the interests of the 
public and must have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics 
of the social work profession.  Applications for licensure must be submitted to the board 
together with the fee as set under section 7056.
Sec. 5.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §3, is further 
amended by repealing the 3rd blocked paragraph.
Sec. 6.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §3, is further 
amended by enacting at the end a new last blocked paragraph to read:
For purposes of meeting the requirements of this subsection, an applicant is not required to 
be licensed as a licensed master social worker - conditional clinical under this chapter in 
order to qualify as a licensed clinical social worker.  The board shall consider consultation 
and social work experience previously obtained in this State or another jurisdiction as long 
as that experience is substantially equivalent to the requirements of this chapter. 
Sec. 7.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 211, §2, is amended 
to read:
2-A.  Licensed master social worker.  As To be qualified as a licensed master social 
worker, an applicant must have received either a masters master's or doctoral degree in 
social work or social welfare from an accredited educational institution, must have 
demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social work 
profession and must have successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board. 
After meeting these qualifications, the applicant must receive a "licensed master social 
worker" license. In addition, any person wishing to practice social work in a clinical setting 
must receive a "licensed master social worker, conditional" license.
This subsection takes effect July 1, 2005.
Sec. 8.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§2-B is enacted to read:
2-B.  Licensed master social worker - conditional clinical.   To be qualified as a 
licensed master social worker - conditional clinical, an applicant must have received either 
a master's or doctoral degree in social work or social welfare from an accredited educational 
institution, must have successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board and 
must attest to obtaining the consultation and the social work experience requirements of 
this chapter. The consultation arrangement must be with a licensed clinical social worker, 
certified social worker - independent practice, licensed clinical professional counselor, 
licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed psychologist, licensed psychiatrist or other 
qualified consultant as determined by the board.
Sec. 9.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 112, Pt. A, §13, is 
further amended to read:
3.  Requirements to be a licensed Licensed social worker.  To be qualified to be 
licensed as a licensed social worker, an applicant must attest to obtaining the consultation 
and social work experience requirements of this chapter and meet one of the following 
requirements:
A.  The applicant must have received a bachelor's degree or higher in social work or 
social welfare from an accredited educational institution; demonstrated to the 
satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social worker profession; and 
successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board; or
B.  The applicant must have received a conditional license as a licensed social worker 
in accordance with subsection 3‑B; completed the requirements for consultation and 
social work experience while licensed as a licensed social worker - conditional under 
this chapter, must have completed contact hours in accordance with subsection 3‑C, 
paragraph B and subsection 3‑D; and must have successfully completed the 
examination prescribed by the board.  For purposes of meeting the requirements of this 
subsection, an applicant is not required to be actively licensed as a licensed social 
worker - conditional under this chapter in order to qualify as a licensed social worker.
Sec. 10.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3-B, as amended by PL 2013, c. 217, Pt. J, §4, is 
further amended to read:
3-B.  Conditional license as a licensed Licensed social worker - conditional.  The 
board may issue a conditional license To be qualified as a licensed social worker to an 
applicant who provides to the board - conditional, an applicant must provide:
A.  Documented proof of a bachelor's degree or higher in a field that is sufficiently 
related to social work or social welfare, as determined by the board; and attestation to 
obtaining the consultation and social work experience requirements of this chapter.  For 
purposes of this paragraph, "field that is sufficiently related to social work or social 
welfare" includes, but is not limited to, behavioral science, social and behavioral 
sciences, childhood development, counseling, criminal justice, education, human 
development, mental health and human services, nursing, psychology, educational 
psychology, rehabilitation services, sociology and other sufficiently related fields as 
determined by the board.
B.  Any documentation as required by the board, which may include, but is not limited 
to:
(1)  Evidence of employment in a social service delivery field; and
(2)  Evidence of an arrangement of consultation to be provided in accordance with 
subsection 3‑C, paragraph B.
A licensed social worker - conditional license may be held for no more than 6 years. 
Sec. 11.  32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3-C, as amended by PL 2005, c. 173, §1, is further 
amended to read:
3-C.  Consultation requirements for licensed social workers and conditionally 
licensed social workers - conditional.  A licensed social worker or conditionally licensed 
social worker - conditional must complete the following requirements for consultation.
A.  A licensed social worker and a licensed social worker - conditional must complete 
a minimum of 96 hours of consultation as determined by the board.  This consultation 
must be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social work employment occurring in 
a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 6 years from initial licensure.  The 
consultation arrangement must be with a consultant who is a licensed social worker 
licensed under this chapter who has at least 2 years of work experience as a licensed 
social worker.  A licensed social worker - conditional is not eligible to be a consultant 
under this chapter. 
B.  A person who receives a conditional license as a licensed social worker on or after 
January 1, 2004 must complete the following requirements for consultation who 
practiced social work and obtained social work consultation hours in a long-term care 
setting and who held a valid license as of September 13, 2003 may count consultation 
hours that were obtained prior to August 3, 2004, regardless of whether the consultation 
hours were obtained in individual or group settings, if the consultation was provided 
by a licensed social worker, regardless of the group size and the eligibility requirements 
of the consulting licensed social worker.
(1)  A person who is not an employee of the Department of Health and Human 
Services must complete a minimum of 96 hours of consultation as determined by 
the board.  This consultation must be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social 
work employment occurring in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 
years.  For purposes of fulfilling the requirement of 96 hours of  consultation 
during the first 3,200 hours of social work employment, a licensed social worker 
who practiced social work and obtained social work consultation hours in a long-
term care setting and who held a valid license as of September 13, 2003 may count 
consultation hours that were obtained prior to August 3, 2004, whether the 
consultation hours were obtained in individual or group settings, if the consultation 
was provided by a licensed social worker, regardless of the group size and the 
eligibility requirements of the consulting licensed social worker.
(2)  A person who is an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services 
must complete a minimum of 96 hours of consultation with a licensed social 
worker who has been licensed for at least 4 years or a licensed master social 
worker.  This consultation must be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social 
work employment occurring in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 
years.
Sec. 12.  32 MRSA §7053-A, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2007, c. 402, Pt. V, §8, is 
further amended to read:
4.  Licensed social worker; licensed social worker - conditional.  A licensed social 
worker or a licensed social worker - conditional may:
A.  Engage in psychosocial evaluation, excluding the diagnosis and treatment of mental 
illness, and conduct basic data gathering of records and specific life issues of 
individuals, groups and families, assess this data and formulate and implement a plan 
to achieve specific goals related to specific life issues;
B.  Serve as an advocate for clients or groups of clients for the purpose of achieving 
specific goals relating to specific life issues;
C.  Refer clients to other professional services;
D.  Plan, manage, direct or coordinate social services; and
E.  Participate in training and education of social work students from an accredited 
institution or an educational institution in candidacy for accreditation with the Council 
on Social Work Education or a successor or other organization approved by the board 
and supervise other licensed social workers.
A licensed social worker or a licensed social worker - conditional may not engage in the 
private practice of social work, diagnose mental illness and emotional disorders or provide 
psychotherapy. A licensed social worker with less than 2 years' experience must receive 
consultation from either a licensed master social worker, a licensed clinical social worker 
or a certified social worker - independent practice in a manner to be prescribed by the board 
on a group or individual basis 4 hours a month. Licensed social workers in health care 
facilities licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services must receive 
consultation on a quarterly basis in a manner prescribed by the department. The department 
staff giving consultation to intermediate care facilities must be on the master or clinical 
level by January 1, 1993.
State agencies employing social workers are responsible for providing supervision 
necessary for those social workers to maintain their licenses.
Sec. 13.  32 MRSA §7060, as amended by PL 2013, c. 262, §4, is further amended 
to read:
§7060.  Expiration and renewals
A license renewal fee as set under section 7056 must be paid by the licensee.  Licenses 
expire biennially on December 31st or at such other times as the Commissioner of 
Professional and Financial Regulation may designate.   Each renewal is contingent upon 
evidence of participation in a continuing professional education course or program as 
approved by the board.  A license may be renewed up to 90 days after the date of expiration 
upon payment of a late fee in addition to the renewal fee as set under section 7056.  Any 
person who submits an application for renewal more than 90 days after the renewal date is 
subject to all requirements governing new applicants under this chapter, except that the 
board may in its discretion, giving due consideration to the protection of the public, waive 
examination if the renewal application is received, together with the late fee and renewal 
fee, within 2 years from the date of the expiration.
Beginning January 1, 2020, an applicant for license renewal shall demonstrate to the 
satisfaction of the board a one-time successful completion of a minimum of 12 hours of 
course work in family or intimate partner violence, including course work in spousal or 
partner abuse that addresses screening, referral and intervention strategies, including 
knowledge of community resources, cultural factors, evidence-based risk assessment and 
same-gender abuse dynamics.  An applicant may fulfill this requirement through course 
work provided through contact hours, Internet hours or distance learning programs, as 
evidenced by certification from an accredited educational institution or equivalent teaching 
or practice experience.  The board may accept equivalent courses in family or intimate 
partner violence screening and referral and intervention strategies or equivalent teaching 
or practice experience completed prior to January 1, 2020 in satisfaction of this 
requirement.  Continuing education courses taken pursuant to this paragraph may be used 
to satisfy the licensee's required hours of continuing education.
A licensee who is no longer actively practicing social work may apply for an inactive 
status license pursuant to Title 10, section 8003, subsection 5‑A, paragraph D, 
subparagraph (5).  The holder of an inactive status license may not practice social work in 
the State. The fee for inactive status licensure is set under section 7056. The holder of an 
inactive status license is required to renew the license annually and pay the renewal fee as 
set under section 7056, but is not required to meet the continuing education requirement of 
this chapter and the rules adopted under it.
In addition to the other requirements of this section, a licensed social worker must:
1.  Not employee of Department of Health and Human Services.  If not employed 
by the Department of Health and Human Services, provide documentation of 96 hours of 
consultation as determined by the board during the first 3,200 hours of social work 
employment in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 years.  For purposes of 
fulfilling the requirement of 96 hours of consultation during the first 3,200 hours of social 
work employment, a licensed social worker who practiced social work and obtained social 
work consultation hours in a long-term care setting and who held a valid license as of 
September 13, 2003 may count consultation hours that were obtained prior to August 3, 
2004, whether the consultation hours were obtained in individual or group settings, if the 
consultation was provided by a licensed social worker, regardless of the group size and the 
eligibility requirements of the consulting licensed social worker; or
2.  Employee of Department of Health and Human Services.  If employed by the 
Department of Health and Human Services, provide documentation of either:
A.  A minimum of 96 hours of consultation with a licensed social worker who has been 
licensed for at least 4 years or a licensed master social worker.  This consultation must 
be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social work employment occurring in a 
period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 years; or
B.  A minimum of 96 hours of consultation concurrent with the person's first 3,200 
hours of social work employment occurring in a period of not less than 2 years but not 
more than 4 years with a licensed social worker who has been licensed for at least 2 
years, has been designated by the department as a supervisor trainee and is concurrently 
receiving 48 hours of consultation with a licensed master social worker.
A person who submits an application for license renewal more than 2 years from the 
date of expiration of the license is subject to all requirements governing new applicants 
under this chapter, except that the board may in its discretion, giving due consideration to 
the protection of the public, waive examination, consider consultation and work experience 
obtained under this chapter and require evidence of completing continuing professional 
education. 
SUMMARY
This bill changes the licensure requirements for social workers. The bill enacts 
definitions of conditional licensure categories, identifies qualifying degrees for licensure, 
streamlines the qualifications for licensure specific to consultation and social work 
experience requirements, removes requirements for initial licensure that have created 
barriers to entering or re-entering the social work profession, clarifies the consultant 
eligibility, removes the 2-tiered system for eligibility for Department of Health and Human 
Services social workers and social workers who are not employees of the department and 
expands the State Board of Social Worker Licensure's authority to consider consultation 
and social work experience gained in this State or another jurisdiction when seeking initial 
licensure, late renewal or reinstatement of licensure.