Senate Bill sb1640

    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1640

    By Senator Rich





    34-1133-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to professional social worker

  3         identification; creating s. 491.016, F.S.;

  4         providing a penalty for a person who falsely

  5         holds himself or herself out as a social

  6         worker; providing the requirements necessary to

  7         be a social worker; providing exceptions for

  8         certain employees; authorizing the Department

  9         of Health to adopt rules; providing an

10         effective date.

11  

12  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

13  

14         Section 1.  Section 491.016, Florida Statutes, is

15  created to read:

16         491.016  Professional social worker identification.--

17         (1)  It is a misdemeanor of the first degree,

18  punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for a

19  person, for or without compensation, to hold himself or

20  herself out to the public as a social worker either directly

21  or through a governmental or private organization, entity, or

22  agency unless the person:

23         (a)  Possesses a bachelor's degree or a master's degree

24  in social work from an accredited social work program or from

25  an institution that is actively seeking accreditation as a

26  social work program by the Council on Social Work Education;

27  or

28         (b)  Completes, at a university or college outside the

29  United States or Canada, a social work program determined by

30  the Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council

31  

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    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 1640
    34-1133-06




 1  on Social Work Education to be equivalent to a bachelor's

 2  degree or a master's degree in social work.

 3         (2)(a)  This section does not apply to a person who,

 4  before July 1, 2006, used the title "social worker" in his or

 5  her employment as long as the person continuously works for

 6  the same employer and works in the same capacity for that

 7  employer as before July 1, 2006.

 8         (b)  This section does not apply to salaried employees

 9  providing social work services under part II, part III, or

10  part IV of chapter 400, until July 1, 2011.

11         (3)  The department shall adopt rules pursuant to ss.

12  120.536(1) and 120.54 to administer this section.

13         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

14  

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16                          SENATE SUMMARY

17    Provides a penalty for a person who falsely holds himself
      or herself out as a social worker. Provides the
18    requirements necessary to be a social worker. Provides
      exceptions for certain employees. Authorizes the
19    Department of Health to adopt certain rules.

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