The Senate Workforce Development Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 2341, which would adopt the interstate compact for school psychologists. The bill drew support from the North Dakota Association of School Psychologists and the North Dakota Military Commission, and opposition from the state Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB). The committee took no final vote and closed the hearing to revisit the matter at a later date.

Supporters said the compact would reduce duplicative state licensure requirements for school psychologists, expand telehealth and remote practice, and ease transitions for military families who relocate. Rebecca Campbell, representing the North Dakota Association of School Psychologists, provided written testimony and told the committee the compact would "streamline the licensure process and facilitate professional mobility," especially for rural districts that face staffing shortages.

The North Dakota Military Commission administrator, Jay Sheldon, testified the compact aligns with quality-of-life issues used in basing and retention decisions and supports military members and spouses who move frequently.

Opposition from the Education Standards and Practices Board: Rebecca Pitkin, executive director of ESPB, testified in opposition. Pitkin said North Dakota already has an efficient out-of-state licensure pathway and warned the compact could impose new costs and a more cumbersome process. Her testimony listed procedural and fiscal concerns: unknown commission fees, potential travel and attorney costs, possible conflicts with state open-meeting statutes, and that the compact language could supersede conflicting state laws "to the extent of the compact," which the board identified as a legal concern.

Neutral testimony: Adam Dier Singh of the Council of State Governments, who assisted in compact development under a Department of Defense cooperative agreement, provided informational testimony about the drafting process and implementation timeline. He confirmed the compact requires seven states to enact the model language before the commission is effectuated and noted that initial implementation support and data-system development have received some federal cooperative-agreement support. He said cost estimates for commission standing up are uncertain but that states would likely not see cost pass-throughs until the compact had been active for a period.

Committee outcome: after hearing testimony and questions, the chair closed the hearing and said the committee would revisit the bill the following week. No committee vote was taken at the hearing.