Wisconsin Legislative Council
AMENDMENT MEMO
One Ea st Ma in Stre e t, Suite 401 • Ma dison, W I 53703 • (608) 266-1304 • le g.council@le gis.wisconsin.gov • http://www.le gis.wisconsin.gov/lc
Memo published: October 18, 2023 Contact: Margit Kelley, Principal Attorney
2023 Senate Bill 196
Senate
Amendment 1
2023 SENATE BILL 196
2023 Senate Bill 196 ratifies and enters Wisconsin into the Counseling Compact, which allows a
professional counselor licensed in a compact member state to practice in another state under a
“privilege to practice” without obtaining a license to practice in the other state.
To create the Counseling Compact provisions, the bill creates new subchapters within the statutory
chapter that governs professional counselors, social workers, and certain other mental health
professionals. In doing so, the bill also updates a number of cross-references throughout the statutes in
order to maintain the correct cross-reference to each applicable subchapter.
In a number of provisions, the bill also refers to the Counseling Compact simply as “the compact.”
SENATE AMENDMENT 1
Senate Amendment 1 addresses cross-reference errors that would occur if the Social Work Licensure
Compact were to also be ratified and entered into in Wisconsin. More specifically, the bill’s references
to “the compact” are revised to “the counseling compact” to more precisely identify which compact is
addressed in those provisions. The bill also specifies that if the Social Work Licensure Compact is
enacted, the updated cross-references in the Counseling Compact to an applicable chapter and
subchapter are void. This means that the updated, correct cross-references that are provided in the
Social Work Licensure Compact will apply.
A proposal to ratify and enter Wisconsin into the Social Work Licensure Compact has been introduced
in companion bills 2023 Senate Bill 391 and 2023 Assembly Bill 382.
BILL HISTORY
Senator Stafsholt offered Senate Amendment 1 on October 17, 2023. That same day, the Senate adopted
the amendment, and passed the bill, as amended, on voice votes.
For a full history of the bill, visit the Legislature’s bill history page.
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