Bill Text: PA HB892 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Establishing the Child Welfare Workers Loan Forgiveness Program for Commonwealth residents who graduate from institutions of higher education and apply their degrees to careers in child welfare work.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-7)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-03-12 - Referred to EDUCATION [HB892 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-HB892-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  1011

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

HOUSE BILL

 

No.

892

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY SIPTROTH, BELFANTI, BISHOP, CARROLL, COHEN, DeLUCA, FABRIZIO, GEIST, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HORNAMAN, JOHNSON, JOSEPHS, KORTZ, KOTIK, MANN, MURT, MYERS, PALLONE, READSHAW, REICHLEY, SCAVELLO, K. SMITH, J. TAYLOR, VULAKOVICH, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 12, 2009

  

  

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 12, 2009  

  

  

  

AN ACT

  

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Establishing the Child Welfare Workers Loan Forgiveness Program

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for Commonwealth residents who graduate from institutions of

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higher education and apply their degrees to careers in child

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welfare work.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby enacts as follows:

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Section 1.  Short title.

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This act shall be known and may be cited as the Child Welfare

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Workers Loan Forgiveness Act.

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Section 2.  Declaration of purpose.

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The primary purpose of the Child Welfare Loan Forgiveness

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Program is to attract capable and promising students to the

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child welfare profession and to increase employment and

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retention of individuals who are working toward or who have

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received either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in

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social work, psychology or sociology.

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Section 3.  Definitions.

 


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The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

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have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

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context clearly indicates otherwise:

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"Certified child welfare employer."  An agency certified by

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the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency as employing

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child welfare workers as provided for under section 4(c).

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"Child welfare worker."  A staff person who holds a

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bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree in the field of social

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work, psychology or sociology and is employed by a public or

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private agency serving dependent children or those children who

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have been referred for child welfare services and who works in

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any of the following functional areas: family preservation,

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family support, children's protective services, including on-

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call, investigative assessment and case planning and case

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management, and foster care and adoption, including placement of

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children, recruitment of families, licensing and adoption

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assessment.

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"PHEAA."  The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance

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Agency.

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"Program."  The Child Welfare Workers Loan Forgiveness

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Program established under section 4.

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"Qualified applicant."  A person who meets all of the

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following criteria:

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(1)  Is a resident of this Commonwealth.

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(2)  Has successfully completed a bachelor's, master's or

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doctorate degree in the field of social work, psychology or

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sociology at an accredited institution of higher education.

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(3)  Has been hired as a full-time employee of a

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certified child welfare employer.

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(4)  Has borrowed through and has a current outstanding

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balance on a Federal Stafford, Graduate PLUS or consolidation

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loan program administered by the Pennsylvania Higher

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Education Assistance Agency.

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Section 4.  Child Welfare Workers Loan Forgiveness Program.

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(a)  Establishment.--The Child Welfare Workers Loan

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Forgiveness Program is established. PHEAA shall administer the

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program.

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(b)  Nature of program.--For each year that a qualified

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applicant is employed by a certified child welfare employer,

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PHEAA may forgive a proportional part of the applicant's student

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loan so that the loan may be partially or entirely forgiven.

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(c)  Employer eligibility.--Eligible certified child welfare

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employers for purposes of the program shall include county

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children and youth agencies charged with enforcing 23 Pa.C.S.

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Ch. 63 (relating to child protective services) and private

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providers who serve youth who have been adjudicated dependent or

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delinquent and other entities as determined by PHEAA.

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(d)  Limitations.--

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(1)  For qualified applicants with an undergraduate

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degree, no more than $2,500 shall be forgiven in any one

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year, and no more than $10,000 shall be forgiven for any one

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qualified applicant.

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(2)  For qualified applicants with both an undergraduate

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degree and either a master's or doctorate degree, no more

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than $5,000 shall be forgiven in any one year, and no more

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than $20,000 shall be forgiven for any one qualified

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applicant.

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(3)  PHEAA shall establish procedures for making payments

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to qualified applicants.

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(4)  No qualified applicant may receive a larger amount

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of forgiveness than the outstanding balance the applicant has

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with the Federal Stafford, Graduate PLUS and consolidation

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loan program administered by PHEAA.

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(e)  Eligibility.--A qualified applicant shall be eligible

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for loan forgiveness regardless of whether the applicant's

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outstanding loan balance is acquired before or after the date of

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the effective date of this section, and no loan forgiveness

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shall be given for years of service before the date of this

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section.

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Section 5.  Qualifications for loan forgiveness awards.

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(a)  Application.--PHEAA shall establish procedures for

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qualified applicants to apply and be approved for participation

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in the program.

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(b)  Employment.--Recipients of loan forgiveness awards must

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be full-time employees of a certified child welfare employer who

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maintain satisfactory employment with the organization and agree

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to continue employment with a certified child welfare employer

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for at least three years after the end of their participation in

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the program.

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(c)  Documentation.--PHEAA may require qualified applicants

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who are participating in the program to submit documentation in

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order to maintain continued eligibility for the program.

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Section 6.  Funding.

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Loan forgiveness awards under this act may be made to the

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extent that funds are appropriated by the General Assembly or

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available from other sources and are sufficient to cover the

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administration of the program. In the event that funding is

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insufficient to fully fund administration and all eligible

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applicants, priority shall be given to renewal applicants.

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Thereafter, PHEAA shall utilize a random lottery system for

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determining which applicants receive loan forgiveness awards.

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Section 7.  Tax applicability.

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Loan forgiveness awards shall not be considered taxable

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income for purposes of Article III of the act of March 4, 1971

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(P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971.

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Section 8.  Annual report.

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(a)  Development of report.--PHEAA shall publish a report by

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October 1, 2010, and every year thereafter for the immediately

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preceding fiscal year. The report shall provide information

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regarding the operation of the program, including:

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(1)  The number and amount of child welfare worker loan

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forgiveness grants issued and renewed for qualified

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applicants.

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(2)  The number and type of enforcement actions taken by

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the agency.

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(b)  Submission.--The annual report shall be submitted to the

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Governor, the chair and minority chair of the Appropriations

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Committee of the Senate, the chair and minority chair of the

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Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives, the

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chair and minority chair of the Education Committee of the

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Senate, the chair and minority chair of the Education Committee

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of the House of Representatives, the chair and minority chair of

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the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate and the

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chair and minority chair of the Health and Human Services

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Committee of the House of Representatives.

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Section 9.  Responsibility of PHEAA.

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PHEAA shall administer the program and shall adopt such

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regulations, policies, procedures and forms as are necessary and

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not inconsistent with the provisions of this act.

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Section 10.  Effective date.

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This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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