House advances social work licensure compact to third reading after unanimous committee reports

The Vermont House on the floor advanced House Bill 543, which would make Vermont a member of the interstate social work licensure compact, approving committee-recommended amendments by voice vote and ordering the bill read a third time.

Representative Chino of Burlington, speaking for the House Health Care Committee, urged support for the compact, saying it would increase access to social work services and allow licensed social workers to practice across member states while maintaining relationships between providers and clients. “If we pass this bill, Vermont would be the 2nd state to join the compact,” Chino said, adding that joining interstate compacts has been a priority for committees working on workforce recruitment and retention.

The compact’s language, Chino said, was developed with input from the National Association of Social Workers in Vermont and the Office of Professional Regulation. She described the measure as roughly 50 pages and similar in structure to other interstate licensing compacts, addressing participation, definitions, and regulatory details. “One of the most important benefits is that an interstate compact supports the relationships between people and their providers,” Chino said.

Representative Andrews of Westford delivered the Ways and Means committee report and noted uncertainty in the bill’s revenue impact. Andrews directed members to the fiscal note and reported the fiscal office’s estimate of a biennial revenue loss from licensing fees of $40,320 and an approximate one-time setup cost of $10,000 for licensure administration. Andrews said the Ways and Means committee concluded the benefits outweigh the fiscal concerns and recommended passage (committee vote recorded in the transcript as "1200").

On Appropriations, the member from Brattleboro reported that the committee reviewed the bill with legislative counsel and the Joint Fiscal Office, and likewise recommended passage when amended, citing workforce benefits despite pressure on the Office of Professional Regulation special fund.

On the floor, members voted by voice to amend H.543 as recommended by the Health Care Committee, then as recommended by Ways and Means, and then voted to read the bill a third time; the presiding officer announced that "the ayes do have it" on each question. The questions were decided by voice vote; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the floor in the transcript.

The bill’s supporters framed the compact as a workforce tool to expand access to licensed social work services across state lines; committees acknowledged a modest fiscal downside tied to lost licensing fee revenue and small startup costs. The House ordered third reading and the bill will return for further action consistent with the legislature’s calendar and rules.