Senate committee backs overhaul of social work licensure, forwards bills to rules committee

The Senate Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services voted to forward two companion bills—36‑0050 (repeal and reenact Title 27, Chapter 20) and 36‑0051 (establishing the Virgin Islands Board of Social Work Licensure)—to the Rules and Judiciary Committee after testimony from the bill sponsor, territorial regulators, the University of the Virgin Islands and the Association of Social Work Boards.

The bills update licensure categories and practice definitions that the witnesses said have not been modernized since the 1980s. "The Department of Human Services supports the intention behind this legislation and acknowledges the importance of revising and reenacting Chapter 20 of Title 27 of the Virgin Islands Code to better align our social work licensure laws with current standards of practice," said Avril George, Commissioner of the Virgin Islands Department of Human Services.

Committee chair Senator Ray Fonseca opened the block with readings of the three bills. Senator Novelle E. Francis Jr., sponsor of the social work measures, told the committee the goal is to align territory law with contemporary practice and create…