The Senate Workforce Development Committee voted unanimously to give House Bill 1035 a do‑pass recommendation after supporters said adopting the Social Work Licensure Compact would improve continuity of care and make it easier for licensed social workers and students to move between states.

Lieutenant Colonel Jay Sheldon of the North Dakota Military Commission introduced the bill for the committee and said the compact is sponsored by the Department of Defense through the Defense State Liaison Office. "Like all compacts, the social work compact must be adopted in its entirety without amendments," he said, noting North Dakota would join roughly two dozen states already participating in the compact or have pending legislation.

Supporters said the compact could be especially helpful for military families, children in care who move across state lines, and recent graduates entering the workforce. Greg Kosowski, director of the Children's Advocacy Centers of North Dakota, told the committee the compact would "allow that continuity of care where the child is staying in North Dakota for 1 month and then moves to another state during the summer to go live with another caregiver." Calvin Benson of Nexus Path Family Healing, reading written testimony from his executive director, said the compact could increase the supply of social workers available statewide and help stabilize care for children and families.

A university student, Rachel Sester, testified in support and described how licensure compacts would make it easier for recent graduates who move for a spouse's job to maintain continuous practice across state lines.

Committee discussion noted the compact already has broad adoption: testimony cited 22 states already in the compact and about 15 states with pending legislation at the time of the hearing. Committee members said joining the compact would align North Dakota with neighboring states and ease workforce mobility for licensed social workers. One member moved a due‑pass recommendation; the committee's roll call recorded unanimous support (Senators Wabamaw, Axman, Larson, Beauche and Powers recorded as "yes").

The committee's action sends House Bill 1035 forward with a do‑pass recommendation for consideration by the full Legislature.