The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky updates social work licensing requirements, criminal background checks, and telehealth rules
Last action · April 10, 2026: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 77)Sponsors: Samara Heavrin and 2 others
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Does
Kentucky HB 424 mandates national and state criminal background fingerprint checks for initial social worker license applicants, reinstatements, and compact privilege applications, while revising board procedures, compliance rules, and statutory exemptions.
Applicants for social work credentials must undergo fingerprint-based background checks through state and federal law enforcement, and licensed practitioners must adhere to updated standards and board oversight timelines.
- The Kentucky Board of Social Work is the state agency responsible for licensing and regulating social workers under KRS Chapter 335. context
- HB 424 was enacted by the Kentucky General Assembly during the 2026 regular session and signed into law by the Governor on April 10, 2026. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Social work applicants
Applicants for initial licenses or reinstatements must submit complete and legible sets of fingerprints for state and federal criminal background checks.
Licensed social workers
Practitioners are subject to updated board oversight, telehealth compliance standards, and potential background checks if named in a grievance.
Kentucky Board of Social Work
The board is tasked with administering background investigations, reviewing results, promulgating administrative regulations, and enforcing licensing standards.
Tax-exempt organizations under Section 501(c)(3)
Employees engaging in non-clinical social work remain exempt from licensure, while clinical social work practice within these entities remains restricted to licensed professionals.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is required to undergo a criminal background check under the new law?
Are background checks required when renewing an existing social work license?
What are the educational requirements for a licensed social worker (LSW)?
Can unlicensed individuals practice social work if they work for a tax-exempt non-profit organization?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
15 actions- Apr 10, 2026HouseEnrolledsigned by Governor (Acts Ch. 77)
- Mar 31, 2026HouseEnrolledHouse concurred in Committee Substitute (1) passed 90-0 enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House enrolled, signed by President of the Senate delivered to Governor
- Mar 27, 2026Senateposted for passage for concurrence in Senate Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 20, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 37-0 with Committee Substitute (1) received in House to Rules (H)
- Mar 19, 2026Housepassed over and retained in the Consent Orders of the Day
- Mar 18, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill posted for passage in the Consent Orders of the Day for Thursday, March 19 2026
Show 9 earlier actions
- Mar 17, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Mar 13, 2026SenateCommitteeto Licensing & Occupations (S)
- Feb 19, 2026SenateIntroducedreceived in Senate to Committee on Committees (S)
- Feb 18, 2026HouseFloor3rd reading, passed 94-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
- Feb 17, 2026Houseposted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Wednesday, February 18 2026
- Feb 12, 2026HouseFloor2nd reading, to Rules
- Feb 11, 2026Housereported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with Committee Substitute (1)
- Jan 27, 2026HouseCommitteeto Licensing, Occupations, & Administrative Regulations (H)
- Jan 16, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Fingerprint Background Checks
The legislation introduces mandatory national and state fingerprint background checks for initial licenses, reinstatements, and compact practice, while explicitly barring background checks solely for license renewals.
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools