Bill Text: MA H3568 | 2009-2010 | 186th General Court | Introduced

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Bill Title: Encourage licensed social workers to work in child welfare and human services programs

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-03-08 - Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the House Committee On Ways and Means [H3568 Detail]

Download: Massachusetts-2009-H3568-Introduced.html

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

William Smitty Pignatelli

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
                Court assembled:

                The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act Establishing An Education Loan Repayment Program For Social Workers And Credentialed Direct Care Human Service Workers.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:	District/Address:
William Smitty Pignatelli	4th Berkshire
Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.	34th Middlesex
William N. Brownsberger	24th Middlesex
Stephen L. DiNatale	3rd Worcester
Theodore C. Speliotis	13th Essex
Kate Hogan	3rd Middlesex
William Lantigua	16th Essex
David P. Linsky	5th Middlesex
Robert M. Koczera	11th Bristol
Alice K. Wolf	25th Middlesex
Bruce E. Tarr	First Essex and Middlesex
Mary E. Grant	6th Essex
Elizabeth A. Malia	11th Suffolk
Todd M. Smola	1st Hampden
Christine E. Canavan	10th Plymouth
Susan C. Tucker	Second Essex and Middlesex
Colleen M. Garry	36th Middlesex
Michael R. Knapik	Second Hampden and Hampshire
Jennifer M. Callahan	18th Worcester
Denise Provost	27th Middlesex
Barbara A. L'Italien	18th Essex
Stephen R. Canessa	12th Bristol
James J. O'Day	14th Worcester District
Steven J. D'Amico	4th Bristol
John W. Scibak	2nd Hampshire
Mark V. Falzone	9th Essex
Paul McMurtry	11th Norfolk
James Arciero	2nd Middlesex
John F. Quinn	9th Bristol
Cory Atkins	14th Middlesex
Susan C. Fargo	Third Middlesex
Alice Hanlon Peisch	14th Norfolk
Jonathan Hecht	29th Middlesex
Thomas M. Stanley	9th Middlesex
Katherine Clark	32nd Middlesex

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1191 OF 2007-2008.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand and Nine

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An Act Establishing An Education Loan Repayment Program For Social Workers And Credentialed Direct Care Human Service Workers.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 

SECTION 1. Chapter 15A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:

      Section 19F. There shall be a licensed social worker and credentialed direct care human service workers  student loan repayment program for the purpose of increasing and retaining access to child welfare services and social services in the commonwealth.  The program shall provide financial assistance for the repayment of qualified education loans, as defined below, and shall be administered by the board of higher education in collaboration with the executive office of health and human services. The program shall be subject to appropriation.

        The term “qualified education loan” shall mean any indebtedness including interest on such indebtedness incurred to pay tuition or other direct expenses incurred in connection with the pursuit of a certificate, undergraduate or graduate degree by an applicant, but shall not include loans made by any person related to the applicant, or loans paid by credit card.

        The board, in collaboration with the executive office of health and human services, shall promulgate guidelines governing the program. These guidelines shall include the following provisions:

 (1) eligibility shall be limited to persons with incomes that do not exceed 500% of the federal poverty level;

 (2) eligibility shall be limited to persons entering the field of social work or credentialed direct care human service workers  after July 1, 2008;

(3) eligibility shall be limited to (a) social workers licensed under chapter 112 who are employed in child welfare or in a geographic or programmatic setting defined as high need according to the guidelines governing the program, or

 (b) credentialed direct care human service workers; "credentialed direct care human service worker" is defined as a credentialed worker who provides services by supporting individuals and families efforts to function in daily living situations. Human service worker is a generic term for people who hold professional and paraprofessional jobs in settings such as group homes and halfway houses; institutional or residential settings; correctional, mental retardation, and community mental health centers; family, child, and youth service agencies, and programs concerned with alcoholism, drug abuse, family violence, and aging; in addition such worker shall have passed the course requirements and been issued a credential by the Massachusetts Council of Human Services Providers.;

 (4) the commonwealth shall repay a qualified education loan at a rate not to exceed $250 per month for a period not to exceed 48 months;

(5) payments by the commonwealth shall be made to directly to the lender on behalf of a program participant, and shall cover only loan payments owed by the participant in the months during which the participant works in the commonwealth as a social worker or as a  credentialed direct care human service workers; and

 (6) the program guidelines shall set forth an affirmative action policy and goals.