Committee adopts technical amendment as it hears testimony on Interstate Compact for School Psychologists

Senator Roper, sponsor of Senate Bill 276, told the Senate Education Committee the bill would join Ohio to the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, an interstate occupational‑licensure compact intended to facilitate licensed portability and ease interstate movement of school psychologists. "Applicants seeking a home state license are required to complete 3 educational criteria," the sponsor said, summarizing the compact's requirements for a home license and for obtaining equivalent privileges in other member states.

Before sponsor testimony began, Vice Chair Blessing moved to amend the bill with AM0909, described as an LSC technical correction to fix a misnaming of the compact. Chair Brenner asked for objections; hearing none, "the amendment will become part of the bill." The transcript records no roll‑call vote on the bill itself during this session.

Senator Roper described the compact's basic elements: a required active, unencumbered home‑state license; a national exam endorsed by the National Association of School Psychologists (or another exam approved by the compact commission's rules); a minimum of 1,200 hours of supervised internship with at least 600 hours in a school; and an approved specialist or doctoral degree (or equivalent) as educational prerequisites. He noted applicants for an equivalent license must also undergo a criminal background check in the state where they seek the equivalent license, and that member states retain their authority to investigate and discipline licensees.

The sponsor said the compact was developed with technical assistance from the Council of State Governments, the Department of Defense and the National Association of School Psychologists, and that the compact calls for forming a governing commission after seven states enact enabling legislation. He listed seven states that have enacted enabling legislation: West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas, Georgia, Delaware, Colorado and Alabama.

Committee members asked whether psychologists from other states would come to Ohio or practice remotely and about compact impact data. Senator Roper said professionals may work in the member state and that permissibility of remote practice would be determined by the Ohio licensing board; he also offered to provide recent compact utilization figures to the committee.

Ending: The committee received the first hearing testimony and approved the technical amendment AM0909; no final committee action on SB 276 was recorded in the transcript.