HB1136

House Bill 1136 seeks to amend the Social Work Licensing Act in Arkansas by removing the requirement that applicants for licensure as a Licensed Master Social Worker or a Licensed Certified Social Worker possess 'good moral character.' The bill eliminates this specific requirement from the existing list of qualifications for these professional licenses. Other requirements, such as educational attainment, passing board-approved examinations, undergoing criminal background checks, and maintaining physical and mental competency, remain in place. The bill explicitly retains provisions that disqualify applicants who have committed specific crimes, such as felonies, offenses involving violence, fraud, deceit, or abuse of the vulnerable. The purpose is to streamline the licensure process by removing a potentially subjective standard.