Social work compact moves toward launch; Kansas readies background checks and data system

The social work multistate compact commission has selected Aspiring Apps to provide the compact’s central data system and is working to finalize contract terms, David Fye, executive director of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, told the advisory committee on Dec. 9.

Fye said financing for the compact’s early costs includes a HRSA grant that ASWB helped apply for, and that ASWB and other stakeholders have paid some upfront costs to support the commission. He reported that 31 states have passed legislation to join the compact and that roughly 30 states currently have effective compact language; one state’s enacted language (North Carolina) diverged significantly from the model and will likely need clarifying follow-up legislation to conform to model requirements.

The compact’s operational design will rely on state boards to review applicants and issue multistate licenses, with the compact commission maintaining a data system that reflects multistate license holders. That design differs from some other compacts that have vendor-issued state privileges; Kansas staff said decisions are pending about the commission’s ongoing staffing and administrative costs.

Timing remains contingent on vendor development and testing. Fye estimated Kansas is about eight to nine months away from a launch contingent on Aspiring Apps completing the data system and successful testing; he said the compact has moved forward “faster than a lot of other compacts” because commission members have learned from earlier efforts.

Because the compact requires background checks for eligibility, the BSRB is preparing temporary regulation language and administrative steps to ensure new applicants meet compact standards when the commission goes live. Fye said the board expects to implement background checks for new applicants in early 2026, subject to the normal rulemaking and administrative process.

The advisory committee asked for additional detail on projected costs and staffing for the commission and for updates on the vendor contract as those items are finalized.