| 1 | 1 | | 88R7131 MM-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 1796 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing a social work recruitment and retention |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | program administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | Board. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Subchapter LL to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER LL. SOCIAL WORK RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAM |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 61.9851. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program" |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | means the social work intern practicum stipend (SWIPS) program. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | Sec. 61.9852. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | The board shall establish and administer a social work recruitment |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | and retention program to provide an intern practicum stipend to |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | assist students at institutions of higher education in obtaining |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | field hours necessary for program coursework related to completing |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | a bachelor's or master's degree in social work. |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 61.9853. ELIGIBILITY; PRIORITY OF APPLICANTS. (a) To |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | be eligible to receive a stipend under the program, a student must: |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (1) apply to the board in the form and manner |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | prescribed by board rule; |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2) be enrolled at an institution of higher education |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | in an educational program that is accredited by the Council on |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Social Work Education leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | social work; |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | (3) be accepted into a practicum placement approved by |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | the board for purposes of the program; |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (4) enter into a written agreement with the board as |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | provided by board rule; and |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | (5) satisfy any other criteria prescribed by board |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | rule. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | (b) The board shall establish a method for prioritizing |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | applicants for practicum stipends in the event the total amount of |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | money available to provide stipends under this subchapter for an |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | academic year is not sufficient to provide a stipend to each |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | applicant who is eligible under Subsection (a). The priority |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | criteria must include: |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (1) qualification for need-based aid based on free |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | application for federal student aid (FAFSA) indicators; and |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (2) practicum placement in a mental health |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | professional shortage area designated by the Department of State |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | Health Services. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | Sec. 61.9854. PRACTICUM STIPEND AWARDS. (a) The amount of |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | a practicum stipend award to which an eligible student is entitled |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | is an amount equal to: |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (1) for a student enrolled in a bachelor's degree |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | program, $15 per hour for each hour of supervised field hours in an |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | approved practicum program, not to exceed a total of $6,000; or |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | (2) for a student enrolled in a master's degree |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | program, $20 per hour for each hour of supervised field hours in an |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | approved practicum program, not to exceed a total of $9,000. |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (b) Each academic year, the board shall provide money for |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | the practicum stipends to institutions of higher education with |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | Council on Social Work Education-accredited educational programs |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | based on the institution's anticipated need. Each institution shall |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | determine the timeline and procedure for distributing the money for |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | that academic year to eligible students based on the board's |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | priority criteria adopted under Section 61.9853(b), if applicable. |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | (c) An institution of higher education shall remit to the |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | board any unused money received by the institution under the |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | program for an academic year as soon as practicable following that |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | academic year. |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | Sec. 61.9855. PRIORITY OF INSTITUTIONS. The board shall |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | establish a method for prioritizing institutions of higher |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | education for distribution of practicum stipends in the event the |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | total amount of money available to provide stipends under this |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | subchapter for an academic year is not sufficient to provide money |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | for stipends at each institution described by Section 61.9854(b). |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | The priority criteria shall include: |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | (1) serving a high percentage of students who qualify |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | for need-based aid based on free application for federal student |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | aid (FAFSA) indicators; |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | (2) having a high number of students who complete |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | practicum placements in mental health professional shortage areas |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | designated by the Department of State Health Services; and |
|---|
| 80 | 80 | | (3) designation as a historically black college or |
|---|
| 81 | 81 | | university or a Hispanic-serving institution. |
|---|
| 82 | 82 | | Sec. 61.9856. REPORTS. (a) Each institution of higher |
|---|
| 83 | 83 | | education that receives money for practicum stipends under the |
|---|
| 84 | 84 | | program for an academic year shall collect and submit data in the |
|---|
| 85 | 85 | | form of a report to the board each semester. The report must include |
|---|
| 86 | 86 | | information regarding: |
|---|
| 87 | 87 | | (1) the amount of money distributed by the institution |
|---|
| 88 | 88 | | under the program for that semester; |
|---|
| 89 | 89 | | (2) the number of participants in the program during |
|---|
| 90 | 90 | | that semester; and |
|---|
| 91 | 91 | | (3) any other expenses incurred by the institution |
|---|
| 92 | 92 | | related to the program for that semester. |
|---|
| 93 | 93 | | (b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
|---|
| 94 | 94 | | the board shall submit a report on the program to the governor, the |
|---|
| 95 | 95 | | lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, |
|---|
| 96 | 96 | | and each standing committee of the legislature with primary |
|---|
| 97 | 97 | | jurisdiction over matters relating to finance. The report must |
|---|
| 98 | 98 | | include an analysis of the program's effectiveness and any |
|---|
| 99 | 99 | | recommendations for legislative or other action. |
|---|
| 100 | 100 | | Sec. 61.9857. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary |
|---|
| 101 | 101 | | for the administration of this subchapter. |
|---|
| 102 | 102 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
|---|
| 103 | 103 | | shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter LL, Chapter |
|---|
| 104 | 104 | | 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable |
|---|
| 105 | 105 | | after this Act takes effect. |
|---|
| 106 | 106 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 107 | 107 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 108 | 108 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 109 | 109 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 110 | 110 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
|---|