65-6309. Exemption from examination; temporary licensure; professional title. (a) An applicant shall be exempted from the requirement for any examination provided for herein, if the applicant has taken and passed an examination similar to that for which exemption is sought, as determined by the board.

(b) Upon application, the board shall issue a temporary bachelor's social work license or a temporary master's social work license to persons who have submitted documentation and met all qualifications for licensure under provisions of this act, except passage of the required examination, and who have paid the required fee.

(c) Absent extenuating circumstances approved by the board, a temporary bachelor's social work license or a temporary master's social work license issued by the board shall expire upon the date the board issues or denies a license to practice social work or 24 months after the date of issuance of the temporary license. No temporary bachelor's social work license or temporary master's social work license will be renewed or issued again on any subsequent applications for the same license level. The preceding provisions in no way limit the number of times an applicant may take the examination.

(d) No person shall work under a temporary bachelor's social work license or a temporary master's social work license except under the supervision of a licensed social worker.

(e) Nothing in this section shall affect any temporary license to practice issued under this section prior to the effective date of this act and in effect on the effective date of this act. Such temporary license shall be subject to the provisions of this section in effect at the time of its issuance and shall continue to be effective until the date of expiration of the license as provided under this section at the time of issuance of such temporary license.

(f) Any individual employed by a hospital and working in the area of hospital social services to patients of such hospital on July 1, 1974, is exempt from the provisions of this act.

(g) A person practicing social work with a temporary license may not use the title "licensed baccalaureate social worker" or "licensed master social worker" or use the initials "LBSW" or "LMSW," independently. The word "licensed" may be used only when followed by the words "by temporary license."

History: L. 1974, ch. 372, § 9; L. 1980, ch. 242, § 19; L. 1986, ch. 340, § 3; L. 1989, ch. 276, § 4; L. 1990, ch. 237, § 1; L. 2003, ch. 129, § 3; L. 2006, ch. 61, § 2; L. 2016, ch. 92, § 40; L. 2019, ch. 55, § 10; L. 2023, ch. 90, § 11; July 1.