Interstate Compact for School Psychologists

If passed, this bill will update part of the Code of Georgia about education compacts.

• Code of Georgia: These are the rules or laws for the state of Georgia that say what people in Georgia can and cannot do.

• Education compacts: official agreements between states to handle educational challenges. 

The goals of this bill:

• To join the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists.  

  • A legal agreement between many states that allows school psychologists to work in more than one state. 

  • Psychologists: These are people who help others with their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. They listen, give advice, and teach ways to handle problems.

• To set a short title and definitions.  

• To explain the compact's parts.  

• To cancel conflicting laws.    

Definitions:  

• 'License' means a school psychology certificate given by the Professional Standards Commission.  

  • Professional Standards Commission: a group in Georgia that sets guides for the licensing of people who educate children in public schools.

Purpose of the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists: 

• Help make psychology services in school more available across states. 

• Create a way for school psychologists to get similar licenses in other states.  

‘To do’s’ of the compact:  

• Allow good school psychologists to work in different member states easily.  

• Make sure more people can get good psychology services in public schools.  

• Follow local laws about what school psychologists can and can’t do.  

• Encourage states in the interstate compact to work together.  

Requirements for joining the compact:  

• Pass a compact statute similar to the model compact.  

• Share info with other member states as needed.  

• Keep an updated list of licenses that are similar.  

• Have a system for getting and looking into complaints.  

Requirements for home state licenses:  

• Pass a nation-wide test.  

• Complete supervised internship hours and graduate from a good educational program.  

• Follow the rules of the interstate compact.   

Requirements to get and keep a license while working remotely from another state:  

• Hold an active home state license.  

• Meet specific state rules.  

• Finish the application and renewal for the license, including background checks.  

  • Renewal: This means updating permission to do a job. Some jobs, like doctors or psychologists, need a special license. They have to renew it regularly to keep working.

  • Background check: This is when someone looks at a person’s history to see if they have broken the law or done anything that might be a problem. Jobs, housing, or volunteering might require a background check.

The bill includes options for active military members and their spouses, and a summary of what the consequences are for not following the rules.

The bill has an outline for setting up the a group in charge of the agreements that allow school psychologists to work in many states. This group is called the School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact Commission.  

• Explains membership, voting, and meeting rules.  

• Powers of the commission include:  

  • Set the code of conduct, rules, and terms.  

  • Keep paperwork about money and do review the money every year.

  • Set up small groups that each focus on different important things and provide info about following the agreement rules.

The bill also explains how the group gets money and how that money is used. 

The bill sets rules for sharing information, and makes clear how rules are made, including in emergencies.  

The bill includes when these new rules would start, and what needs to happen for any of the rules to change. 

If this is passed, any other laws that would create problems in this one working will be gotten rid of.