A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to clarify the definition of social worker under the social worker certification and licensure act.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 90B‑3(8) reads as rewritten:
"(8)	Social Worker. – A person with a bachelors degree or masters degree in social work who has graduated from a school of social work accredited or a school of social work that is a candidate for accreditation by the social work profession's accrediting body or a person who has attained a doctorate in social work or received licensure or certification from the Board."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 90B‑4 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a1)	Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, it is unlawful for any person who is not a social worker as defined in this Chapter to hold himself or herself out to the public by any title or description denoting that he or she is a social worker as defined in this Chapter."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 90B‑10 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"(a1)	Persons who were engaged in the practice of social work and not certified or licensed under this Chapter as a Certified Social Worker, Certified Master Social Worker, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or Certified Social Work Manager before October 1, 2007, shall be exempt from the academic qualifications required by this Chapter for social workers provided those persons remain continuously employed in the field of social work in North Carolina."
SECTION 4.  The Office of State Personnel shall develop and implement a position classification for persons affected by Section 3 of this act on or before October 1, 2007.
SECTION 5.  Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this act become effective October 1, 2007.  The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.