Report Title:

Social Workers; Loans

Description:

Establishes a student loan repayment program for social workers in the departments of health, human services, and labor and industrial relations.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1144

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO SOCIAL WORKERS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 321, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§321-    Social work student loan subsidy program; special fund. (a) There is created the department of health social work student loan subsidy program to be administered by the director of health, for the purpose of assuming the repayment of the outstanding balance on all student loans that were entered into by licensed social workers or licensed clinical social workers in their pursuit of a master's degree from a college or university in a social work program accredited by or deemed to be equivalent to an accredited program by the Council on Social Work Education or a doctoral degree from a doctoral degree program in social work accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or a comparable regional accreditation body, provided that the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker agrees to work as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker for the department in a full-time equivalent position for at least ten consecutive years in a shortage area to be determined by the director. The maximum amount of loan repayments that the department may assume for a licensed social worker or a licensed clinical social worker shall not exceed $2,500 per year for all loans over the ten-year period.

(b) There is created in the treasury of the State, the department of health social work student loan subsidy program special fund, for the purpose of repaying student loans pursuant to subsection (a). Repayment shall commence three months after a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker commences employment with the department and shall be paid annually in a flat amount, without pro rata adjustments, within a ten-year period. The following may be deposited into the special fund:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature; and

(2) Private contributions.

The department may adopt rules to implement the social work student loan subsidy program. The rules shall be adopted pursuant to chapter 91 but shall be exempt from the public notice and public hearing requirements.

(c) If the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker separates from employment with the department for any reason as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker prior to the tenth year of the repayment period, the department's liability for further repayment of the loans shall be canceled, and the social worker need not reimburse the department for all amounts paid pursuant to this section.

(d) Notwithstanding chapter 436C, no default on loan repayments assumed by the department shall result in a licensing sanction against the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker.

(e) Loan repayments assumed by any other department of the State under a similar program shall not automatically entitle the social worker to continued loan repayments under this section.

(f) For the purposes of this section, the terms "licensed social worker" and "licensed clinical social worker" shall have the meanings ascribed to them in section 467E-1.5."

SECTION 2. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§346-    Social work student loan subsidy program; special fund. (a) There is created the department of human services social work student loan subsidy program to be administered by the director of human services, for the purpose of assuming the repayment of the outstanding balance on all student loans that were entered into by licensed social workers or licensed clinical social workers in their pursuit of a master's degree from a college or university in a social work program accredited by or deemed to be equivalent to an accredited program by the Council on Social Work Education or a doctoral degree from a doctoral degree program in social work accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or a comparable regional accreditation body, provided that the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker agrees to work as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker for the department in a full-time equivalent position for at least ten consecutive years in a shortage area to be determined by the director. The maximum amount of loan repayments that the department may assume for a licensed social worker or a licensed clinical social worker shall not exceed $2,500 per year for all loans over the ten-year period.

(b) There is created in the treasury of the State, the department of human services social work student loan subsidy program special fund, for the purpose of repaying student loans pursuant to subsection (a). Repayment shall commence three months after a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker commences employment with the department and shall be paid annually in a flat amount, without pro rata adjustments, within a ten-year period. The following may be deposited into the special fund:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature; and

(2) Private contributions.

The department may adopt rules to implement the social work student loan subsidy program. The rules shall be adopted pursuant to chapter 91 but shall be exempt from the public notice and public hearing requirements.

(c) If the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker separates from employment with the department for any reason as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker prior to the tenth year of the repayment period, the department's liability for further repayment of the loans shall be canceled, and the social worker need not reimburse the department for all amounts paid pursuant to this section.

(d) Notwithstanding chapter 436C, no default on loan repayments assumed by the department shall result in a licensing sanction against the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker.

(e) Loan repayments assumed by any other department of the State under a similar program shall not automatically entitle the social worker to continued loan repayments under this section.

(f) For the purposes of this section, the terms "licensed social worker" and "licensed clinical social worker" shall have the meanings ascribed to them in section 467E-1.5."

SECTION 3. Chapter 371, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§371-    Social work student loan subsidy program; special fund. (a) There is created the department of labor and industrial relations social work student loan subsidy program to be administered by the director of labor and industrial relations, for the purpose of assuming the repayment of the outstanding balance on all student loans that were entered into by licensed social workers or licensed clinical social workers in their pursuit of a master's degree from a college or university in a social work program accredited by or deemed to be equivalent to an accredited program by the Council on Social Work Education or a doctoral degree from a doctoral degree program in social work accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or a comparable regional accreditation body, provided that the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker agrees to work as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker for the department in a full-time equivalent position for at least ten consecutive years in a shortage area to be determined by the director. The maximum amount of loan repayments that the department may assume for a licensed social worker or a licensed clinical social worker shall not exceed $2,500 per year for all loans over the ten-year period.

(b) There is created in the treasury of the State, the department of labor and industrial relations social work student loan subsidy program special fund, for the purpose of repaying student loans pursuant to subsection (a). Repayment charges shall commence three months after a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker commences employment with the department and shall be paid annually in a flat amount, without pro rata adjustments, within a ten-year period. The following may be deposited into the special fund:

(1) Appropriations made by the legislature; and

(2) Private contributions.

The department may adopt rules to implement the social work student loan subsidy program. The rules shall be adopted pursuant to chapter 91 but shall be exempt from the public notice and public hearing requirements.

(c) If the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker separates from employment with the department for any reason as a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker prior to the tenth year of the repayment period, the department's liability for further repayment of the loans shall be canceled, and the social worker need not reimburse the department for all amounts paid pursuant to this section.

(d) Notwithstanding chapter 436C, no default on loan repayments assumed by the department shall result in a licensing sanction against the licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker.

(e) Loan repayments assumed by any other department of the State under a similar program shall not automatically entitle the social worker to continued loan repayments under this section.

(f) For the purposes of this section, the terms "licensed social worker" and "licensed clinical social worker" shall have the meanings ascribed to them in section 467E-1.5."

SECTION 4. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the social work student loan subsidy program established under this Act. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the social work student loan subsidy program established under this Act. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 7. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005-2006, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2006-2007, for the social work student loan subsidy program established under this Act. The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of labor and industrial relations for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2005.

INTRODUCED BY:

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