HB 0875

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to professional social work
3	identification; creating s. 491.016, F.S.; providing
4	requirements for using the title "social worker";
5	providing a penalty; providing a grandfather clause;
6	requiring the Department of Health to adopt certain
7	implementing and enforcing rules; providing an effective
8	date.
9
10	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12	Section 1.  Section 491.016, Florida Statutes, is created
13	to read:
14	491.016  Professional social work identification.--
15	(1)  It shall be a misdemeanor of the first degree,
16	punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for a
17	person, for or without compensation, to hold himself or herself
18	out to the public as a social worker either directly or through
19	a governmental or private organization, entity, or agency unless
20	that person:
21	1.  Possesses at least a bachelor's or master's degree in
22	social work from a social work program accredited by or from an
23	institution that is an active candidate for accreditation as a
24	social work program by the Council of Social Work Education; or
25	2.  Completes, at a university or college outside the
26	United States or Canada, a social work program determined by the
27	Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council on
28	Social Work Education to be equivalent to a bachelor's or
29	master's degree in social work.
30	(2)  This section shall not apply to a person who, prior to
31	July 1, 2005, used the title "social worker" in his or her
32	employment as long as the person continuously works for the same
33	employer and works in the same capacity for that employer as
34	before July 1, 2005.
35	(3)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.
36	120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement and enforce this section.
37	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.