School Psychologist Compacts: What You Should Know

By Grant Minix

Last spring, The Council of State Governments announced the selection of the National Association of School Psychologists for technical assistance on the development of an interstate compact for licensed school psychologists. The opportunity is a result of a cooperative agreement between CSG and the Department of Defense to develop interstate licensure mobility compacts.

The introduction of the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists will facilitate licensure mobility for the profession, which can improve access to services and care for school-age children. Schools are facing a national shortage of school psychologists. According to NASP, the recommended ratio of school psychologists to students is 1:500. However, the national ratio currently stands at 1:1,211. Some states are approaching ratios of 1:5,000. These shortages are especially evident in rural schools and historically underserved school districts.

The development of the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists also offers substantial benefits to military families by allowing for increased licensure portability for military spouse. Additionally, it increases portability for school psychologists providing care for military children which will increase continuity of care.

As part of the project kickoff, CSG and NASP hosted a compact kickoff meeting in August 2022. The meeting featured CSG, NASP and DOD officials outlining the need for increased licensure mobility for licensed school psychologists and the process to develop the compact. During this meeting, and as part of a larger stakeholder review and public comment process, participants were invited to ask questions regarding the project.

Following the kickoff meeting, CSG and NASP worked to identify individuals and organizations throughout the country to serve on the compact technical assistance group, including school psychologists, regulators, state legislators and individuals representing key organizations in education. The technical assistance group is tasked with providing recommendations on numerous aspects of the compact, such as state and licensee requirements to join the compact, the makeup of the compact commission and how to integrate telepractice into the compact, which all will be considered by the document writing team.

As of December 2022, CSG and NASP are in the process of assembling the document writing team and working with the technical assistance group to develop recommendations. In early 2023, the document writing team will meet write the model language for the school psychologist interstate compact. After an initial draft of the language is developed it will be shared with the technical assistance group and then released for public stakeholder review.

CSG, NASP and the working group will continue to work on the language until it is properly vetted and fully capable of meeting the needs of the profession and the public. Once the model compact language is finalized it will be released for state enactment. CSG anticipates the model language will be released for 2024 state legislative sessions. For more information on the Interstate Compact for School Psychologists, visit the compact web page or send an email to [email protected].

Northeast Task Force Fall Meeting 2022

The Fall meeting of the Northeast High-Level Transportation Task Force was held October 26-27, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, New Jersey. A Summary of the meeting and presentations provided are listed below.

Northeast Task Force 2022 Fall Meeting Summary
Update on the 3Yankee’s
A Community Preparedness and Planning Pilot Framework Tool for Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation
Update from DOE Environmental Management
DOE-NE Program Update and Interim Storage Activities
Loading of Indian Point LLRW onto Rail in Newton, Connecticut
PA Radiation Monitoring Tech Guide Document

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CAPE-Youth Launches Long COVID Web Page

By Katherine Emerson

Current estimates show that 7.7 to 23 million people in the U.S. have experienced Long COVID or its associated conditions. The CDC defines Long COVID as anyone experiencing ongoing, long-term conditions as a result of having been infected with the COVID-19 virus. Long COVID symptoms can last weeks, months or even years. Furthermore, the symptoms of Long COVID can qualify someone as an individual with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) if these symptoms substantially limit one or more major life activities, including employment and education. Youth and young adults with a Long COVID disability may need assistance understanding their disability, understanding their employment and education rights, and navigating systems of support.  

As part of our database of State Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) is pleased to launch our Long COVID resource page. States have taken a variety of approaches to support youth experiencing a Long COVID disability (as either their first identified disability or in addition to an existing disability). The resource page supports CAPE-Youth’s overall mission to provide state policymakers with policy options, best practices, and implementation strategies to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YADs).  

 The Long COVID resource page offers: 

general information about Long COVID; 

information about Long COVID as a disability;  

potential accommodations for Y&YADs with Long COVID; 

ways to help Y&YADs manage Long COVID; 

state efforts to support Y&YADs with Long COVID; and 

nationally recognized Long COVID resources addressing accessibility, the workplace, and other services and supports.  

As states strive to promote workforce inclusion, the over three million young people between the ages of 16 to 24 with disabilities are a key part of the solution. Y&YADs face barriers in transitioning successfully from youth systems into adulthood. These barriers result in lower employment outcomes, educational attainment, and community participation than their peers. The Long COVID resource page discusses how Y&YADs might address those barriers, such as understanding and managing their disability in an educational and workplace setting, their rights and protections in those settings, and accessing appropriate supports.  

This web page also assists state leaders by highlighting how states have: 

educated the public about symptoms, causes, and treatment of Long COVID; 

provided support programs and mental health resources to help individuals; 

recognized Long COVID as a potential source of disability under the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act; and 

funded Long COVID support services. 

The complete list of information and resources also can be sorted by state and by topic. 

Workforce inclusion is a priority for state leaders nationwide. Supporting Y&YADs as they prepare to enter the workforce advances state economies and individuals’ quality of life. To learn more about CAPE-Youth and our publications, visit capeyouth.org. 

Physician Assistant Compacts: What You Should Know

In June 2019, a joint initiative by The Council of State Governments, Federation of State Medical Boards, American Academy of Physician Associates and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, was created to develop an interstate compact for the interstate practice of physician assistants (PAs). Funding support for this initiative came from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact (PA Compact) will facilitate the ability of licensed PAs to practice in multiple states without having to obtain an individual state professional license in each state of practice. The compact will provide for greater in-person and telehealth access to care and will significantly enhance practitioner mobility, including in times of public health emergencies. The PA Compact will also strengthen public protection by establishing a data system that facilitates information sharing and coordination on disciplinary action between participating states.

In the PA Compact licensure mobility is facilitated through a “privilege to practice” model, which allows individual licensees to seek a compact privilege in any compact member state they choose. The licensee’s application for a privilege to practice in a specific state is expedited by utilizing the compact data system to ensure the individual is eligible for that privilege by meeting the requirements in the compact.

The PA Compact includes various requirements for states to adhere to prior to enacting the model legislation. These requirements ensure there are baseline standards to be met for states to start issuing compact privileges. Some of these requirements include requiring a national exam and continuing education for all PA licensees. To obtain privileges to practice in compact member states individual licensees must also meet specific requirements laid out in the compact, such as obtaining NCCPA certification and graduating from a nationally accredited PA program.

The partner organizations met as a working group throughout the compact development process to develop the compact language. As part of the development process, the working group engaged stakeholders within the PA profession and the healthcare industry to solicit input and feedback. The working group utilized stakeholder feedback to revise the compact and respond to received concerns and suggestions.

One of the major motivations behind the desire to develop an interstate compact for physician assistants is the success of other compacts for health care professions, such as the Nurse Licensure Compact and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact for physicians. Both compacts have been enacted in nearly 40 states. The development of interstate compacts for health care professions have been extremely popular amongst states because of their ability to strengthen state’s health care workforce and provide additional pathways to care for patients. The PA Compact working group considered and incorporated many aspects of other compacts for health care professions. While the PA Compact is similar to other compacts in how it facilitates multistate practice, each compact is unique and responds to the specific needs of the profession.

The working group approved the final version of the PA Compact in October 2022, which is being made available to states for 2023 legislative sessions. CSG and the project partners will provide educational and technical assistance for stakeholders and states interested in the compact. Supporting resources and information about the compact may be found at www.pacompact.org.

How State Policymakers Will Shape the Future of Cash

By Valerie Newberg

The prevalence of cash payments in the United States has been steadily declining over recent years as technological innovations have introduced new options to complete transactions. Roughly 41% of Americans say none of their typical weekly purchases are made in cash, compared to 29% in 2018. Other related consumer behaviors indicate a move from cash to cashless transactions, such as the decline in the number of cash purchases of less than $25.

The proliferation of credit and debit cards, payment apps such as Venmo and PayPal, as well as the expansion of e-commerce have created new opportunities for cashless purchases. Additionally, entirely cash-free businesses, meaning those that only accept bank cards or digitally managed forms of currency such as online-only businesses (namely the ridesharing industry and some entertainment venues) do more than just create new opportunities for cashless payments – they require consumers to participate in cashless transactions to access goods and services.

The circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic heavily favored the use of cashless payments, exacerbating the decline in cash payments. Many businesses relied on remote payments as online purchases increased. Research suggested at the time that the virus could spread through physical currency. The number of cash transactions dropped dramatically even though market uncertainty, consumer demand and temporary aid programs from the federal government substantially increased the currency in circulation (CIC) and cash holdings. Although the number of weekly cash payments Americans made rose in 2021 for the first time since 2016, the share of businesses handling little to no cash in 2021 was still double the 2019 total. Business owners and the National Retail Federation cite the operating costs, national cash shortages, safety from robbers and prevention of employee skimming as reasons to abandon the practice of accepting cash. Additionally, credit card companies have incentivized business owners to transition to digitally reliant models, such as through Visa’s 2018 Cashless Challenge, which awarded businesses $10,000 to move away from accepting cash payments.

Proponents of transitioning to a cashless society say business owners are foreshadowing a future where bills and coins are not accepted as legal tender. In other countries like Sweden, cash is predicted to be functionally obsolete by March 2023 as most consumers have moved to different forms of payment and policy decisions continue to decrease CIC. When a retailer’s cash sales dip below 7%, scholars expect that accepting physical currency will no longer be profitable for businesses, but low consumer use is not a factor that guarantees the success of a cash-free model. Countries that have transitioned to cash-free or nearly cash-free societies are also marked by widespread digital banking infrastructure and use of debit and credit cards, conditions that are not met in all the states. For example, Mississippi, the state with the highest proportion of unbanked people in the United States (11.1%), is also the state with the lowest number of credit cards per capita (2.57).

The impact of businesses moving to digital-only forms payment options is not evenly felt. Opponents of cash-free businesses argue that historically marginalized groups, such as Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), those with disabilities, undocumented immigrants and older people are more likely to rely on cash for all of their weekly purchases as they have less access to banking. Nearly 6 million Americans were considered unbanked in 2021 and almost 19 million more are underbanked. With economic stressors like recessions and pandemics, the number of Americans who have access to stable banking decreases further as more rely on nonbank transactions and credit. Additionally, the geographic dispersion of unbanked Americans is uneven across states: in New Mexico, 7% of households do not have a checking account compared to around 1% in Utah.

Several state and local government policymakers have taken a business regulation approach to the issue by proposing laws and ordinances requiring most in-person retail businesses to accept cash payments. In Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, lawmakers were successful in passing such bills. Other solutions available to state lawmakers focus on making digital payments and banking more accessible instead of restricting allowed business practices. Innovative policies include increasing bank card use among those who are least likely to be fully banked, like people experiencing homelessness, older people, formerly incarcerated populations and undocumented immigrants. By allowing users of electronic benefit transfer cards, like those issued for SNAP, to add cash to their cards and use them regularly in the retail market, policymakers can integrate traditionally cash-reliant communities into the digital economy.

Some states have addressed both business practices and accessibility of digitally managed payment options. In New York, state lawmakers recently passed a bill to address bank overdraft fees that can prevent low-income residents from accessing stable banking. Additionally, the city of New York bans retail outlets from refusing to accept cash payments and operates IDNYC, a photo ID program that allows residents to qualify for government financial services and apply for a bank account without a driver’s license.

The pivotal economic circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic offer a unique opportunity for policymakers to evaluate the future of the American economy and implement necessary rules and changes. As motivations for businesses and consumers to go cashless grow in an increasingly digital economy, it is essential that policymakers actively consider how to ensure fairness in the future of retail transactions. Cash as a universal currency offers payment options for disenfranchised populations but can also burden small businesses, and it is the role of state policymakers to balance these priorities by encouraging equitable progress in digital banking infrastructure and consumer involvement in the banking process.