1. (a) Beginning November 1, 2026, the Board shall issue a provisional license to an applicant who, except for passing the examination otherwise required under this subtitle, has met the appropriate education and experience requirements of this subtitle for a license issued under § 19-302 of this subtitle to practice:

   1. (1) Bachelor social work; or
   2. (2) Master social work.

2. (b) A provisional license:

   1. (1) Authorizes the holder to practice social work in the State only within the scope of the specific category of license issued by the Board;
   2. (2) Requires the holder to practice under the supervision of a Board-approved supervisor in accordance with regulations adopted under this section;
   3. (3) May be issued only to an initial applicant for licensure who has not previously been licensed under this title; and
   4. (4) Does not qualify the holder for a multistate license under the Social Work Licensure Compact established under § 19-3A-01 of this title.

3. (c) A provisional license:

   1. (1) Expires on a date set by the Board that is at least 12 months, but not more than 24 months, after the date of issuance;
   2. (2) May not be renewed; and

   3. (3) Shall terminate automatically on:

      1. (i) The expiration date; or
      2. (ii) If the holder applies and qualifies for a license under subsection (e) of this section, the date that the full license is issued.
4. (d) A holder of a provisional license and the supervising social worker are jointly responsible for ensuring compliance with the supervision and expiration requirements of subsections (b)(2) and (c) of this section.
5. (e) The Board shall issue a full license under § 19-302 of this subtitle to a holder of a provisional license who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Board that the holder has achieved a satisfactory score on an examination, as required under § 19-302 of this subtitle.

6. (f) Supervised hours completed under a provisional license:

   1. (1) May be counted toward the supervised experience required for independent practice approval under § 19-302(f) of this subtitle; and
   2. (2) May be counted toward the supervised experience required to qualify for a certified social worker-clinical license under § 19-302(e) of this subtitle.

7. (g) The Board shall adopt regulations to carry out this section, including regulations that establish:

   1. (1) Minimum supervision requirements and reporting procedures;
   2. (2) Standards for evaluating supervised practice as described in subsection (e)(2) of this section;
   3. (3) Requirements to ensure that the tracking of provisional licenses aligns with existing licensure cycles; and
   4. (4) A reasonable fee for the issuance of a provisional license sufficient to cover administrative costs.

8. (h) On or before December 31 each year, beginning in 2027, the Board shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health Committee, in accordance with § 2-1257 of the State Government Article, the following information for the immediately preceding 12-month period:

   1. (1) The number of provisional licenses issued;
   2. (2) The number of holders of provisional licenses who obtained full licensure under subsection (e) of this section; and

   3. (3) Any recommendations for improving:

      1. (i) The implementation of this section; and
      2. (ii) The impact of this section on the health care workforce.

Added by Acts 2026, c. 226, § 1, eff. April 28, 2026; Acts 2026, c. 227, § 1, eff. April 28, 2026.