HB1124 would add a new Article to Chapter 115C creating the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact in North Carolina. The compact is designed to let school psychologists licensed in one member state obtain an equivalent license in another member state without repeating duplicative licensure requirements, while still requiring compliance with the receiving state’s scope-of-practice rules, background checks, and renewal requirements. It also creates a multistate commission to administer the compact, adopt rules, share licensure and disciplinary information, and resolve disputes among member states.
The bill also directs the State Board of Education to serve as North Carolina’s licensing authority for the compact. In addition to the compact provisions, HB1124 appropriates $1 million in nonrecurring General Fund money to the UNC Board of Governors for East Carolina University to host a virtual school psychology training program, with funds available through June 30, 2029. The act would take effect July 1, 2026, while the compact article itself becomes effective when the bill becomes law.
The bill would amend Chapter 115C by adding a new interstate licensure compact article for school psychologists and by assigning the State Board of Education the duties of the state licensing authority under that compact. It would supersede conflicting state laws to the extent necessary to implement the compact, while preserving nonconflicting state authority over discipline, investigations, and scope of practice. The bill also creates a new state spending obligation by appropriating $1 million to ECU for a virtual training program, affecting the General Fund and UNC system administration.
The available record shows no committee transcript and no recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of debate or formal support/opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill text, the measure appears to be framed positively around workforce mobility, access to school psychological services, and support for military families. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the provided context suggests the bill had not yet generated a documented public controversy in the available materials.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be the interstate compact’s effect on state regulatory control and the creation of a multistate commission with rulemaking, fee-setting, and enforcement authority. Some policymakers may be concerned about how much North Carolina would cede to compact rules, especially where those rules can supersede conflicting state law and require information sharing across states. The appropriation for ECU could also draw scrutiny as a new General Fund expenditure, though the bill ties it to workforce development and training capacity for school psychologists.