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A 6785

Authorizes licensed clinical social workers to provide services to injured employees under workers' compensation coverage

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Gary Pretlow

Authorizes licensed clinical social workers to provide psychosocial and mental health services to injured workers under workers' compensation, expanding access.

REFERRED TO LABOR
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Bill Summary · A 6785

Summary of Assembly Bill A 6785

Overview

  • Bill Number: A 6785
  • Title: Authorizes licensed clinical social workers to provide services to injured employees under workers' compensation coverage
  • Sponsor: J. Gary Pretlow (primary)
  • Status: Referred to Labor
  • Introduced: March 14, 2025

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill intends to expand access to psychosocial and mental health services for injured employees by authorizing licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) to provide services under workers’ compensation coverage. This suggests an effort to broaden the type of licensed professionals who can deliver care within the workers’ compensation system, potentially improving support for workers dealing with injury-related psychological and social needs.

Key Provisions (Based on Title)

  • Authorization for LCSWs: The core provision would authorize licensed clinical social workers to render services to employees who are within the workers’ compensation program.
  • Scope of Services: Specifics (e.g., types of services, settings, duration, supervision requirements, and allowable modalities) are not detailed in the information provided. The full text would define the exact scope, qualifications, and any limits.
  • Reimbursement and Coverage: Details on how these services would be reimbursed under workers’ compensation, including payer (employer, insurer, or state program) and any rate structure, would be defined in the bill’s text.
  • Oversight and Compliance: Any credentialing, reporting, or practice standards applicable to LCSWs within workers’ compensation would be specified in the bill.

Affected Parties

  • Injured Employees: Beneficiaries of workers’ compensation who may receive LCSW services.
  • Licensed Clinical Social Workers: Eligible providers authorized to deliver services under the workers’ compensation program.
  • Employers and Insurers: Entities administering or funding workers’ compensation benefits may need to adjust coverage, billing practices, and utilization management.
  • Healthcare Providers within Workers’ Comp: Potentially broader collaboration with LCSWs as part of the care team.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Legislative Action: Referred to the Labor Committee (two entries noted on 2025-03-14 in the provided record).
  • Next Steps: The bill would move through committee hearings and, if advanced, to floor consideration and potential negotiations before enactment.

Related Legislation

  • A 7457 (prior-session), A 3877 (prior-session), A 3444 (prior-session), A 1589 (prior-session), A 852 (prior-session)
  • These related bills suggest a continuing interest in expanding the role of social workers or other mental health professionals within workers’ compensation or related coverage.

Additional Notes

  • The provided summary does not include the bill’s full text, so precise provisions, definitions, and implementation details (e.g., reimbursement rates, qualifying conditions, supervision requirements) are not specified here. For complete understanding, the full bill text and fiscal notes should be consulted once available.

If you’d like, I can incorporate the full text and any fiscal analyses as soon as they’re released to provide a more detailed, provision-by-provision breakdown.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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