Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Psychologists Compact topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bill to join School Psychologist Interstate Compact to ease licensure mobility
Summary
Lawmakers and experts told the Senate Education Committee May 14 that House Bill 2596 would let licensed school psychologists more easily practice across member states, a step proponents say could help address Oregon’s shortage of school psychologists and expand student access to mental-health services.
The Senate Education Committee heard testimony May 14 on House Bill 2596, which would enact the School Psychologist Interstate Compact to allow licensed school psychologists to move and practice between member states without repeating state-by-state licensure steps.
Kristen Erwin, Oregon state delegate to the National Association of School Psychologists, told the committee that Oregon’s shortage of school psychologists limits access to prevention and treatment services in schools. "Oregon has the highest rate in the nation of youth reporting thoughts of suicide, with at least 15 percent of Oregon's youth reporting serious thoughts of suicide and 25 percent reporting at least one major depressive episode in the past year," Erwin said, and added that school psychologists have provided evidence‑based services such as dialectical behavior therapy groups.
Adam Diersing, senior policy analyst for the Council of State Governments, described the compact’s development and deployment timeline. He said the ICSP was developed through a technical assistance group beginning in 2022, that it most closely resembles the recently activated teacher compact, and that six states have enacted the ICSP with a seventh required to effectuate the compact. "We anticipate that licenses will begin to be granted under that compact later on this summer," Diersing said of the related teacher compact's rollout and the shared data systems expected to lower costs for the school psychologist compact.
Senator Courtney Nieron Mislan, a classroom teacher and sponsor on the floor, urged support for the bill as a targeted, commonsense step to increase the supply of qualified psychologists, particularly for military families and professionals who relocate. "By reducing barriers to professional mobility, we allow these skilled individuals to continue their careers while ensuring our students receive the care that they need," she said.
Committee members and witnesses framed the compact as one tool among others to address workforce shortages. Erwin and others urged continued funding for school‑based mental health grants, training programs, and increased recruitment and retention measures so compact membership would supplement — not replace — other workforce strategies.
The committee held a public hearing; no vote on the measure was taken at the May 14 session.
Background: House Bill 2596 adopts the model Interstate Compact for School Psychologists (ICSP), a multistate framework drafted with support from the Council of State Governments and the Department of Defense. Proponents said shared data systems and rulemaking already under way for a teacher compact may make standing up the ICSP faster and less costly.
