Senate Bill sb2508c1
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Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2508
By the Committee on Higher Education; and Senators Rich,
Bullard, Wilson and Deutch
589-2572-07
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to social workers; amending ss.
3 39.01 and 491.003, F.S.; defining the term
4 "social worker"; creating s. 491.016, F.S.;
5 prohibiting persons from identifying themselves
6 as social workers unless they hold certain
7 credentials; providing exceptions; requiring
8 the Department of Health to adopt rules;
9 providing an effective date.
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11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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13 Section 1. Present subsections (70) through (74) of
14 section 39.01, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
15 subsections (71) through (75), respectively, and a new
16 subsection (70) is added to that section, to read:
17 39.01 Definitions.--When used in this chapter, unless
18 the context otherwise requires:
19 (70) "Social worker" means a person who holds a
20 bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in social work.
21 Section 2. Subsection (17) is added to section
22 491.003, Florida Statutes, to read:
23 491.003 Definitions.--As used in this chapter:
24 (17) "Social worker" means a person who holds a
25 bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in social work. A
26 social worker must hold a license or certification issued
27 pursuant to this chapter to conduct clinical social work.
28 Section 3. Section 491.016, Florida Statutes, is
29 created to read:
30 491.016 Professional social workers; identification.--
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2508
589-2572-07
1 (1) It is a misdemeanor of the first degree,
2 punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083, for a
3 person, with or without compensation, to hold himself or
4 herself out to the public as a social worker, directly or
5 through an entity, unless that person:
6 (a) Holds at least a bachelor's or master's degree in
7 social work from a social work program accredited by the
8 Council of Social Work Education or from an institution that
9 is an active candidate for accreditation as a social work
10 program by that council; or
11 (b) Completes, at a university or college outside the
12 United States or Canada, a social work program determined by
13 the Foreign Equivalency Determination Service of the Council
14 on Social Work Education to be equivalent to a bachelor's or
15 master's degree in social work.
16 (2) This section does not apply to:
17 (a) Persons who, before July 1, 2007, used the title
18 "social worker" in their employment; or
19 (b) Persons who are employed to provide social work
20 services under administrative supervision in long-term care
21 facilities licensed by the Agency for Health Care
22 Administration.
23 (3) The department shall adopt rules to administer
24 this section.
25 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.
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27 STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
28 SB 2508
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30 The committee substitute permits persons who used the title
"social worker" in their employment before July 1, 2007, to
31 continue to use the title whether or not they continue to work
for the same employer or in the same capacity.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida Senate - 2007 CS for SB 2508
589-2572-07
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