Connecticut 2026 Session Status: Passed House Bipartisan · 8 D · 3 R cosponsors

HB 5166 — AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE.

Last action — FILE NO. 607

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has passed the House. Introduced February 11, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the Senate.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 54% · moderate confidence

  • Passed House

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    11 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (8 D · 3 R) — cross-party backing.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

75 added · 185 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendments to Bill HB 5166 simplify the licensing process for master social workers by removing the requirement to pass an examination that was previously necessary. Additionally, it allows applicants who obtained their master's degree by certain deadlines, and those with equivalent education from outside the U.S., to qualify for licensure without the exam. This change aims to make it easier for qualified individuals to enter the social work field, which could help address workforce shortages and improve access to social services.

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House of Representatives General Assembly File No.
House of Representatives File No.
23 February Session, 2026 House Bill No.
607 General Assembly February Session, 2026Reprint of File No.
5166 House of Representatives, March 16, 2026 The Committee on Public Health reported through REP.
23) House Bill No.
MCCARTHY VAHEY of the 133rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the House, that the bill ought to pass.
5166 As Amended by House Amendment Schedule "A" Approved by the Legislative Commissioner April 13, 2026 AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE.
AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE.
Section 20-195n of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
Subsection (b) of section 20-195o of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) No person shall practice clinical social work unless such person has obtained a license pursuant to this section.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-195n concerning examinations, on or before October 1, 2015, the commissioner may issue a license without examination, to any master social worker applicant who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that, on or before October 1, 2013, he or she held a master's degree from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or, if educated outside the United States or its territories, completed an educational program deemed equivalent by the council.
(b) An applicant for licensure as a master social worker shall:
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-195n concerning examinations, the commissioner shall waive the requirement to pass the HB5166 / File No.
(1) [(A)] Hold a master's degree from a social work program [(i)] (A) accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, or [(ii)] (B) that is in candidate status for accreditation by said council and offered by an institution of higher education in the state during or after the spring semester of 2024, and prior to the spring semester of 2028;
607 HB5166 File No.
[,] or [(B)] (2) if educated outside the United States or its territories, have completed an educational program deemed equivalent by the council.
607 masters level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards or any other examination prescribed by the commissioner, as described in subsection (b) of section 20-195n until [January 1, 2026] July 1, 2029, at which time such requirement shall be reinstituted.
[;
Not later than [July 1, 2025] January 1, 2029, the commissioner shall notify institutions of higher education offering social work programs about the reinstitution of the examination for all persons graduating after [January 1, 2026] July 1, 2029.
and (2) pass the masters level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards or any other examination prescribed by the commissioner.] HB5166 / File No.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
23 1 HB5166 File No.
Section 1 from passage 20-195o(b) HB5166 / File No.
23 (c)An applicant for licensure asaclinicalsocialworkershall:(1)Hold a doctorate or master's degree from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or, if educated outside the United States or its territories, have completed an educational program deemed equivalent by the council;
607 2 HB5166 File No.
(2) have three thousand hours post- master's social work experience which shall include not less than one hundred hours of work under professional supervision by a licensed clinical or certified independent social worker, provided on and after October 1, 2011, such hours completed in this state shall be as a licensed master social worker;
607 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
and (3) pass the clinical level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards or any other examination prescribed by the commissioner.
On and after October 1, 1995, any person certified as an independent social worker prior to October 1, 1995, shall be deemed licensed as a clinical social worker pursuant to this section, except a person certified as an independent social worker on and after October 1, 1990, shall not be deemed licensed as a clinical social worker pursuant to this chapter unless such person has satisfied the requirements of subdivision (3) of this subsection.
(d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the commissioner may grant a license by endorsement to an applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant [(1)]islicensedor certifiedasamaster socialworker or clinical social worker in good standing in another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are substantially similar to or higher than those of this state.
[, and (2) has successfully completed the master level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards, or its successor organization, or any other examination prescribed by the commissioner.] No license shall be issued under this subsection to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, the commissioner may grant a license by endorsement to an applicant who presents evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant (1) is licensed or certified as a clinical social worker in good HB5166 / File No.
23 2 HB5166 File No.
23 standing in another state or jurisdiction whose requirements for practicing in such capacity are substantially similar to or greater than those of this state, and (2) has successfully completed the clinical level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards, or its successor organization,or any other examinationprescribedby thecommissioner.
No license shall be issued under this subsection to any applicant against whom professional disciplinary action is pending or who is the subject of an unresolved complaint.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, an applicant who is licensed or certified as a clinical social worker or its equivalent in another state, territory or commonwealth of the United States may substitute three years of licensed or certified work experience in the practice of clinical social work in lieu of the requirements of subdivision (2)ofsubsection(c)ofthissection,providedthecommissioner findsthat such experience is equal to or greater than the requirements of this state.
(g) The commissioner shall notify each applicant who is approved to take an examination required under subsection [(b),] (c) [, (d)] or (e) of this section that such applicant may be eligible for testing accommodations pursuant to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 USC 12101 et seq., as amended from time to time, or other accommodations, as determined by the Association of Social Work Boards, or its successor organization, which may include the use of a dictionary while taking such examination and additional time within which to take such examination.
Sec.
2.
Section 20-195o of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2026):
(a) Application for licensure shall be on forms prescribed and furnished by the commissioner.
Each applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner that he or she has met the requirements of section 20-195n, as amended by this act.
[(b) (1) Notwithstanding theprovisionsofsection20-195n concerning HB5166 / File No.
23 3 HB5166 File No.
23 examinations, on or before October 1, 2015, the commissioner may issue a license without examination, to any master social worker applicant who demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commissioner that, on or before October 1, 2013, he or she held a master's degree from a social work program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or, if educated outside the United States or its territories, completed an educational program deemed equivalent by the council.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20-195n concerning examinations, the commissioner shall waive the requirement to pass the masters level examination of the Association of Social Work Boards or any other examination prescribed by the commissioner, as described in subsection (b) of section 20-195n until January 1, 2026, at which time such requirement shall be reinstituted.
Not later than July 1, 2025, the commissioner shall notify institutions of higher education offering social work programs about the reinstitution of the examination for all persons graduating after January 1, 2026.] [(c)] (b) Each person licensed pursuant to this chapter may apply for renewal of such licensure in accordance with the provisions of subsection (e) of section 19a-88.
A fee of two hundred dollars shall accompanyeachrenewalapplicationforalicensedclinicalsocialworker and a fee of one hundred twenty-five dollars shall accompany each renewal application for a licensed master social worker.
Each such applicant shall furnish evidence satisfactory to the commissioner of having satisfied the continuing education requirements prescribed in section 20-195u.
[(d)](c)No feeshall berequiredforanapplicationfor licensure under subsection (a) of this section.
[(e)] (d) (1) An individual who has been convicted of any criminal offense may request, in writing, at any time, that the commissioner determine whether such individual's criminal conviction disqualifies the individual from obtaining a license issued or conferred by the commissioner pursuant to this chapter based on (A) the nature of the conviction and its relationship to the individual's ability to safely or HB5166 / File No.
23 4 HB5166 File No.
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23 competently perform the duties or responsibilities associated with such license, (B) information pertaining to the degree of rehabilitation of the individual, and (C) the time elapsed since the conviction or release of the individual.
(2) An individual making such request shall include (A) details of the individual's criminal conviction, and (B) any payment required by the commissioner.
The commissioner may charge a fee of not more than fifteen dollars for each request made under this subsection.
The commissioner may waive such fee.
(3) Not later than thirty days after receiving a request under this subsection, the commissioner shall inform the individual making such request whether, based on the criminal record information provided, such individual is disqualified from receiving or holding a license issued or conferred pursuant to this chapter.
(4) The commissioner is not bound by a determination made under this subsection, if, upon further investigation, the commissioner determines that an individual's criminal conviction differs from the information presented in the determination request.
Sec.
3.
Section 20-195t of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is repealed.
(Effective July 1, 2026) This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2026 20-195n Sec.
2 July 1, 2026 20-195o Sec.
3 July 1, 2026 Repealer section PH Joint Favorable HB5166 / File No.
23 5 HB5166 File No.
23 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.
GF - Revenue None Minimal Gain Note:
GF - Revenue Minimal Minimal Gain Note:
None Explanation The bill eliminates the examination requirement for master social worker licensure, resulting in an annual minimal General Fund revenue gain in license renewal fees beginning in FY 28.
None Explanation The bill suspends the master social worker license examination requirement upon passage until July 1, 2029, resulting in a time-limited minimal General Fund revenue gain beginning in FY 27.
The amount of the revenue gain will depend on the number of additional individuals who apply for their initial license at no cost and, in FY 28 and beyond, annually renew their master social worker license for $125 due to this change.
The amount of therevenue gaindependsonthenumber ofadditionalindividuals who 1 (due to this change) apply at no cost for their initial license, and then in FY 27 and beyond, annually renew their master social worker license for $125.
There are currently 5,608 master social workers licensed by the state.
Beginning in FY 30, the anticipated increase in initial licensure applications associated with the examination waiver concludes, as well as the associated revenue gain in future fiscal years related to their potential renewal fees.
House "A" strikes the underlying bill and its associated fiscal impact, and results in the fiscal impact described above.
There are currently 5,608 master social workers licensed by the state.
23 6 HB5166 File No.
607 HB5166 File No.
23 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5166 AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE.
607 OLR Bill Analysis HB 5166 (as amended by House "A")* AN ACT CONCERNING SOCIAL WORK LICENSURE.
SUMMARY This bill eliminates the requirement for a master social worker license applicant to pass the Association of Social Work Boards’ (ASWB) master’s level examination, or other examination the Department of Public Health (DPH) commissioner prescribes.
SUMMARY This bill reinstates a requirement that the Department of Public Health (DPH) commissioner temporarily waive the requirement for a master social worker license applicant to pass the Association of Social Work Board’s (ASWB) masters level examination, or other examination the DPH commissioner prescribes.
(Existing law temporarily suspended this requirement between June 7, 2023, and January 1, 2026.) It correspondingly eliminates a provision that authorizes DPH to issue a 120-day temporary permit that allows master social worker license applicants who have a master’s degree from a social work program but have not yet taken the licensure examination, to practice under professional supervision.
(Current law suspended this requirement between June 7, 2023, and January 1, 2026.) Under the bill, the commissioner must waive the requirement until July1,2029,andthenreinstateit.ByJanuary1,2029,shemustalsonotify higher education institutions that offer social work programs about reinstating the examination requirement.
Under current law and the bill, applicants for a master social worker license still must have a master’s degree from a social work program that is (1) accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), (2) in-state and has candidate status with CSWE during or after the 2024 spring semester and before the 2028 spring semester, or (3) deemed equivalent by CSWE, if educated outside of the U.S.
The bill maintains the examination requirement for licensure by endorsement for applicants who are licensed or certified as a master social worker in good standing in another state or jurisdiction whose licensure requirements are substantially similar to Connecticut’s.
Under current law and the bill, applicants for a master social worker license still must have a master’s degree from a social work program that is (1) accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE);
(2) in-state and has candidate status with CSWE during or after the 2024 spring semester and before the 2028 spring semester;
or (3) deemed equivalent by CSWE, if educated outside of the U.S.
Applicants for licensure by endorsement must be licensed or certified as a master social worker in good standing in another state or jurisdiction with requirements substantially similar or higher than Connecticut’s.
*House Amendment “A” replacestheoriginalbill(File 23)andmakes the examination waiver temporary instead of permanent.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
HB5166 / File No.
July 1, 2026 BACKGROUND Social Work Licensure By law, Connecticut licenses social workers at two levels:
607 4 HB5166 File No.
master HB5166 / File No.
607 EFFECTIVE DATE:
23 7 HB5166 File No.
Upon passage BACKGROUND Social Work Licensure By law, Connecticut licenses social workers at two levels:
23 social worker and clinical social worker.
master social worker and clinical social worker.
23 8
607 5
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Action History

  1. FILE NO. 607

  2. SENATE CALENDAR NUMBER 374

  3. FAV. RPT., TAB. FOR CAL., SEN.

  4. HOUSE PASSED, HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A

  5. HOUSE ADOPTED HOUSE AMEND. SCH. A

  6. FILE NO. 23

  7. HOUSE CALENDAR NUMBER 47

  8. FAV. RPT., TABLED FOR HOUSE CALENDAR

  9. RPTD. OUT OF LCO

  10. REFERRED TO Office of Legislative Research AND Office of Fiscal Analysis 03/16/26

  11. FILED WITH LCO

  12. Joint Favorable

  13. PUBLIC HEARING 0218

  14. REF. TO JOINT COMM. ON Public Health

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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11 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 176 not signed on

Sponsors (11)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (176)

176 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 5166?
HB 5166 is sponsored by Joseph H. Zullo (Republican), Nicole Klarides-Ditria (Republican), Jorge Cabrera (Democratic), Nick Gauthier (Democratic), MD Rahman (Democratic), Tom Delnicki (Republican), Josh Elliott (Democratic), Geraldo C. Reyes (Democratic), Laurie Sweet (Democratic), Saud Anwar (Democratic), and Martha Marx (Democratic).
What is the current status of HB 5166?
This bill has passed the House. Introduced February 11, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track HB 5166?
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