Sunset; State Board of Licensed Social Workers; extending sunset year.
Summary
HB1036 is a sunset-extension bill for the State Board of Licensed Social Workers. It amends the board’s governing statute to re-create the board and extend its termination date from July 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026. The bill does not change the board’s core regulatory mission, membership structure, or licensing framework; it simply keeps the board in existence for another year under the Oklahoma Sunset Law.
The measure preserves the board as a seven-member body made up primarily of licensed social workers, including members from different license categories, one member who is the president of the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, and one public member. It also leaves in place the existing qualifications for board members, including residency, licensure, experience, and public-member restrictions. In practical terms, the bill ensures continued oversight and enforcement of the Social Worker’s Licensing Act without interruption.
Impact
HB1036 would amend 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1253, to extend the life of the State Board of Licensed Social Workers by one year. The bill affects the state’s occupational licensing and regulatory structure for social workers by preventing the board from terminating on July 1, 2025 and instead continuing it until July 1, 2026. No new powers, fees, disciplinary standards, or licensing requirements are created; the bill is limited to the board’s sunset date and continued operation.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is routine and largely noncontroversial. There are no recorded committee transcripts or vote details indicating opposition or debate, and the bill’s narrow purpose is administrative rather than policy-driven. The general sentiment appears to be supportive or neutral, consistent with a standard sunset-extension measure intended to maintain continuity in professional regulation.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Because the bill only extends the board’s sunset date, any disagreement would likely center on broader questions about whether the board should continue to exist, how much regulatory oversight is appropriate, or whether the board’s composition and licensing authority should be revisited. However, none of those concerns are reflected in the available discussion or voting history.