Committee hears support for Social Work Licensure Compact to ease workforce mobility

Senator Mike Wabam, vice chair of the Interim Workforce Development Committee, opened the House Human Services Committee hearing on House Bill 1035, which would create Chapter 43-41.1 of the North Dakota Century Code to adopt the Social Work Licensure Compact.

Senator Wabam said the compact is intended to “reduce the burdens and the obstacles to workforce development in the state” and to make licensure portability easier for social workers who relocate or provide cross‑state services.

Supporters from health care, military and child‑welfare organizations told the committee the compact would help address chronic workforce shortages and maintain continuity of care. Melissa Hauer, general counsel for the North Dakota Hospital Association, said, “Hospitals struggle at times to meet the demand that we have for social workers, and so anything that we can do to streamline that and make it more efficient, is something that we definitely support.”

Lieutenant Colonel Jay Sheldon, representing the North Dakota Military Commission and the National Guard, said the compact is already enacted in more than 20 states and highlighted portability benefits for military spouses: “22 or 23 states, I've already adopted this compact with another 6 pending, I believe. So that's well on its way.” He also noted the Department of Defense tracks such compacts as part of state scorecards used by service members when considering relocation.

Kelvin Benson, representing Nexus Path Family Healing, a juvenile behavioral health provider, testified the compact “provides a potential path forward to help alleviate” a severe workforce shortage in juvenile behavioral health. Greg Kosowski of the Children's Advocacy Centers of North Dakota said the compact would help providers maintain continuity of mental‑health services for children who move or split time across state lines.

Elizabeth Loes of the North Dakota chapter of the National Association of Social Workers said continuity of care — including telehealth when a client moves out of state — was a key reason the chapter supports the bill.

Committee members asked few substantive questions and no witnesses registered opposition. Senator Wabam and supporters noted the bill's text is substantial and contains detailed compact terms that will require further committee review; the committee closed the hearing after public testimony.

If enacted, the compact would allow social workers licensed in compact member states to practice in other member states under the compact’s rules, easing licensure barriers and enabling cross‑state telehealth and continuity of care for clients.