Enacts the "Social Worker Initiative for Faster Testing (SWIFT) act"; provides that with respect to the examination requirement for licensure as a master social worker, an applicant pursuing a master's of social work degree who is enrolled in the final semester of a program registered by the department of education or an educational program accredited or in candidacy for accreditation by the council on social work education shall be eligible to take the master's level examination.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10665
IN SENATE
July 22, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. HINCHEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "Social
Worker Initiative for Faster Testing (SWIFT) act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Social
2 Worker Initiative for Faster Testing (SWIFT) act".
3 § 2. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 7704 of the education
4 law, as added by chapter 420 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read as
5 follows:
6 (d) Examination: pass an examination satisfactory to the board and in
7 accordance with the commissioner's regulations. Notwithstanding the
8 foregoing, an applicant pursuing a master's of social work degree who is
9 enrolled in the final semester of a program registered by the department
10 or an educational program accredited or in candidacy for accreditation
11 by the council on social work education shall be eligible to take the
12 master's level examination; provided, however, that passage of such
13 examination shall not authorize the applicant to practice social work or
14 entitle the applicant to licensure until all other requirements for
15 licensure under this article, including graduation from such program,
16 have been fulfilled;
17 § 3. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
18 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
19 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
20 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
21 date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15318-04-6
