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HB 4280

Health occupations: social workers; limited licenses for bachelor's social worker and master's social worker; extend period for renewal. Amends sec. 18509 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.18509).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Noah Arbit and 10 co-sponsors

Michigan bill extends renewal periods for bachelor's and master's social worker limited licenses, reducing licensing frequency and administrative requirements for practitioners.

bill electronically reproduced 03/20/2025
#healthoccupations:socialworkers #stateagencies(existing):licensingandregulatoryaffairs
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Bill Summary · HB 4280

Legislative bill overview

HB 4280 amends Michigan's health occupations licensing law to extend the renewal period for limited licenses held by bachelor's and master's level social workers. The bill modifies Section 18509 of the 1978 Public Health Code, which governs social worker licensing requirements and timelines.

Why is this important

Social worker licensing directly affects access to mental health and behavioral health services in Michigan communities. Extending renewal periods could reduce administrative burden on practitioners and potentially lower licensing costs, though it may also affect regulatory oversight frequency and consumer protection mechanisms.

Potential points of contention

  • Regulatory frequency trade-off: Longer renewal periods mean less frequent license verification and compliance checks, which regulators may argue weakens consumer protection standards
  • Scope of "limited licenses": Unclear whether extended renewals apply equally to bachelor's and master's level social workers or if differentiation is appropriate based on education/experience levels
  • Implementation timeline: The bill's effective date and transition provisions for currently-licensed social workers under the old renewal schedule are not detailed in the brief summary

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

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