2003 Minnesota Statutes

     148B.224 Alternative license status. 

    Subdivision 1.    Defined; qualifications.  A license 
 may be placed on inactive status if a licensee is not practicing 
 social work in Minnesota and the licensee does not wish to meet 
 license renewal requirements every two years.  A licensee 
 qualifies for inactive status if the licensee demonstrates to 
 the board that the licensee is not practicing social work, as 
 defined by section 148B.18, in any setting in Minnesota. 

    Subd. 2.    Application.  (a) A licensee may apply for 
 inactive status:  (1) at any time by submitting a written 
 application for inactive status; or (2) as an alternative to 
 applying for the renewal of a license by so recording on the 
 application for license renewal form and submitting the 
 completed, signed form.  The application for inactive status 
 must be accompanied by the nonrefundable inactive status fee 
 specified in section 148B.226, payable to the Board of Social 
 Work.  An application that is not completed or signed, or which 
 is not accompanied by the correct inactive status fee, shall be 
 returned to the licensee and is void.  If the application for 
 inactive status is received after the expiration date, the 
 licensee shall pay a late fee as specified in section 148B.226, 
 payable to the Board of Social Work, in addition to the inactive 
 status fee, before the application for inactive status will be 
 considered by the board. 

    (b) The licensee shall attest on a form provided by the 
 board that the applicant will not use the title social worker 
 and will not engage in social work practice in any setting in 
 Minnesota after the date of the board's approval of the 
 application for inactive status. 

    Subd. 3.    Approval.  The board shall approve an 
 application for inactive status if the qualifications and 
 application requirements have been met. 

    Subd. 4.    Practice prohibited.  Licensees on inactive 
 status shall not practice, attempt to practice, offer to 
 practice, or advertise or hold themselves out as authorized to 
 practice social work in any setting in Minnesota and shall use 
 only the title "Social Worker - Inactive Status." 

    Subd. 5.    Time limit on inactive status.  A licensee 
 may maintain a license on inactive status for up to ten 
 consecutive years.  Within 30 days after the end of this 
 ten-year period, the licensee must apply for reactivation of the 
 license pursuant to subdivision 7 or the license expires.  The 
 board shall mail an application for reactivation to a licensee 
 at least 45 days before the expiration date of the license.  
 Placing the application for license reactivation in first class 
 United States mail, addressed to the licensee at the licensee's 
 last known mailing address with postage prepaid, constitutes 
 valid mailing.  Failure to receive the reactivation application 
 does not release a license holder from the requirements of this 
 section. 

    Subd. 6.    Continuing education requirement.  A 
 licensee whose license is on inactive status must continue to 
 obtain the continuing education hours required by rule that 
 would be required if the licensee's license were on active 
 status. 

    Subd. 7.    Reactivating a license.  (a) To reactivate a 
 license, a licensee must complete an application for 
 reactivation of a license, in a form specified by the board; 
 document compliance with the continuing education hours required 
 by subdivision 6 and any continuing education hours not reported 
 by the last expiration date of the license; submit a supervision 
 plan under rules of the board, if required; pay a prorated 
 license renewal fee for the balance of the biennial renewal 
 cycle; and pay the duplicate license certificate fee specified 
 in section 148B.226, if the licensee needs a license in order to 
 meet the requirements of Minnesota Rules, part 8740.0340, 
 subpart 4. 

    (b) If a licensee who reactivates a license has been on 
 inactive status for five or more consecutive years and has not 
 practiced social work during this period, the licensee must 
 receive at least 38 hours of supervision for the first year of 
 full-time practice or 2,000 hours of part-time practice, in 
 accordance with the supervised practice requirements in rules of 
 the board, for application to the licensee's current level.  A 
 licensee must submit a supervision plan before beginning 
 practice, in accordance with rules of the board.  A licensee 
 must have the supervisor submit verification of the supervised 
 practice in a form specified by the board within 30 days of 
 completing this supervised practice requirement.  This 
 supervision requirement must be waived if the licensee can 
 document at least two years of social work practice, outside of 
 Minnesota, within the previous five-year period. 

    (c) For licensed social workers, the completed hours of 
 supervised practice required under this subdivision apply toward 
 any remaining hours required by Minnesota Rules, part 8740.0130, 
 subpart 3. 

    (d) Licensed graduate social workers and licensed 
 independent social workers shall complete this supervised 
 practice requirement before applying for another social work 
 license.  Supervised practice hours obtained to meet this 
 requirement may be applied toward the supervised practice 
 requirement for another social work license. 

    Subd. 8.    License or renewal fee.  A licensee who is 
 approved for inactive status before the end of the renewal cycle 
 may not receive a refund for any portion of the license fee or 
 renewal fee. 

    Subd. 9.    Disciplinary or corrective action.  The 
 board shall retain jurisdiction over a license on inactive 
 status and may take disciplinary or corrective action against 
 the license based on conduct occurring before inactive status 
 was granted or during the inactive status period. 

    HIST: 2003 c 111 s 7