Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateMarylandTo Governor
SB 238: School Psychologist Interstate Licensure Compact
Malcolm Augustine
SB 238 status: To Governor — Approved by the Governor - Chapter 616 (updated May 26, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
75OUT OF 100
Score:75/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 60/100
Constitutionality95%
Bipartisan80%
Public opinion80%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill creates an interstate compact for school psychologists, allowing qualified professionals to work across state lines without obtaining separate, individual licenses for each state.
Who is affected
School psychologists, state departments of education, and public school districts.
Requirements and enforcement
Practitioners must adhere to the rules and requirements set forth by the compact, which replaces the need for duplicative state-level licensing.
Costs and funding
Administrative costs associated with state licensure boards participating in the interstate compact infrastructure.
When it takes effect
Approved by the Governor on 2026-05-26 as Chapter 616.
Potential benefits
Increases labor mobility for professionals, reduces administrative barriers to entry, and helps address staffing shortages in school-based mental health services.
Risks and tradeoffs
Potential loss of state-specific regulatory control and the need for seamless data sharing and enforcement protocols between member states.
What is still unknown
The exact date of full operational implementation for the compact and the specific nuances of the multi-state disciplinary data-sharing system are not stated.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
75%
Benefits
- Increases professional labor mobility
- Reduces costs associated with multiple state licenses
- Streamlines employment transitions for clinicians
Risks
- Potential administrative burden on state boards
- Requires ongoing coordination costs with other states
- Shifts in state licensing fee revenue
Society
Positive outlook
80%
Benefits
- Improves student access to school psychologists
- Enables faster staffing during personnel shortages
- Supports regional equity in service provision
Risks
- Loss of localized control over licensing criteria
- Variations in training standards between states
- Challenges in monitoring cross-state conduct
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Establishes a uniform cross-state regulatory framework
- Requires shared data systems for disciplinary actions
- Increases transparency in clinician credentials
Risks
- Reduces direct legislative oversight of local licensing
- Centralizes authority in compact administrative bodies
- Complexity in enforcing local disciplinary codes
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
85%
Benefits
- Ensures wider access to mental health services
- Facilitates rapid response to psychological crises
- Maintains professional standards via compact rules
Risks
- Risk of inconsistent safety standard enforcement
- Communication gaps during cross-state discipline
- Variability in patient privacy protection laws
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
The operational details of the disciplinary data-sharing system are not specified.
Analysis scope
Source provided is limited to a brief summary.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorCurrent
- EnactedUpcoming
05
How it affects your district
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06
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