CA AB427

Ratifies California's participation in the Social Work Licensure Compact, allowing licensed clinical social workers to practice across member states through a multistate license rather than obtaining separate licenses in each state

Multistate license applicants must hold an active, unencumbered license in their home state, pass a qualifying national exam, submit fingerprints for criminal background checks, and meet education requirements from accredited social work programs

Clinical-category multistate licenses require a master's degree in social work plus at least 3,000 hours (or 2 years full-time) of postgraduate supervised clinical practice

Creates the Social Work Licensure Compact Commission, a joint government agency of member states responsible for administering the compact, maintaining a shared data system for licensee information, and promulgating rules

The bill only becomes operative after the Board of Behavioral Sciences votes to join the compact, with the Director of Consumer Affairs certifying that vote to the Secretary of State and Legislative Counsel Bureau