H 5299 Massachusetts House · 194th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act to ensure parity in social work licensure

This bill creates a new provisional license for social work associates who have failed their licensing exam twice by less than 10 points, allowing them to work for up to one year while completing additional training. Under the new requirements, provisional licensees must maintain detailed professional portfolios including case analyses, daily journals, and evaluations from supervisors to demonstrate competency before receiving a full license. The bill also permits social workers who need to work in languages other than English to submit certain portfolio materials in their secondary language and protects all documentation from public disclosure. These changes directly affect social work applicants and licensees by providing a pathway to licensure for those who narrowly fail the exam while ensuring they meet professional standards through documented supervision and training.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 26, 2026 Last action Mar 26, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported from the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities
lower
0 primary · 9 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.