A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new chapter to title 15.1 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to the adoption of the interstate compact for school psychologists.
SB 2341 would adopt the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists in North Dakota by creating a new chapter in Title 15.1 of the Century Code. The compact is designed to make it easier for licensed school psychologists to practice across state lines by allowing member states to issue “equivalent licenses” to qualified out-of-state licensees, while still requiring compliance with the receiving state’s scope-of-practice rules, background checks, renewal requirements, and any state-specific licensure conditions. The bill also establishes a multistate commission to administer the compact, adopt rules, manage information sharing, and oversee compliance among member states.
The compact sets baseline eligibility standards for home-state licensure, including a qualifying national exam, a qualifying education program, and supervised internship hours. It also includes provisions for military members and spouses, disciplinary reporting, alternative programs, and interstate exchange of licensure and adverse-action information. In addition, it addresses governance, funding, rulemaking, enforcement, dispute resolution, withdrawal, and severability, and it provides that conflicting state laws are superseded to the extent of the conflict.
If enacted, the bill would add a new interstate licensure framework to North Dakota law for school psychologists and would authorize North Dakota to participate in a national compact once enough states join. It would affect the state licensing authority by requiring information sharing, complaint handling, reporting of adverse actions, and recognition of equivalent licenses issued under the compact. It would also create obligations related to commission participation, fees, rule compliance, and enforcement, while preserving state authority over discipline and scope of practice within North Dakota.
The available voting history suggests the bill had meaningful support in the Senate, where it passed second reading 44-3, but it was strongly rejected in the House, where it failed second reading 16-74. No committee transcripts are available, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate detailed public testimony or negotiated amendments. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed favorably by a Senate majority but not by the House.
The main points of contention likely centered on interstate licensure and the extent to which North Dakota should join a multistate compact that delegates some rulemaking and administrative authority to a commission. Potential concerns include loss of state control over licensing standards, the effect of compact rules on existing state law, information-sharing and confidentiality requirements, and the costs or administrative burdens of participation. Supporters likely emphasized workforce mobility, reduced duplication for licensed professionals, and improved access to school psychological services, while opponents in the House appear to have been unconvinced that the compact was necessary or appropriate.