PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1935 PRINTER'S NO. 2796
No. 1530 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY PETRONE, LEDERER, DeWEESE, HENNESSEY, BELARDI, BELFANTI, LESCOVITZ, DALEY, BISHOP, GORDNER, LAUGHLIN, KOTIK, CORRIGAN, GOODMAN, BEBKO-JONES, YUDICHAK, LEVDANSKY, CASORIO, HARPER, TANGRETTI, BROWNE, HARHAI, PALLONE, LEACH, SAINATO, McILHATTAN, WALKO, WATSON, GODSHALL, SOLOBAY, EACHUS, CAPPELLI, READSHAW, GERGELY, BUNT, MARKOSEK, WATERS, RUBLEY, MANN, HUTCHINSON, PISTELLA, HORSEY, KIRKLAND, PETRARCA, FREEMAN, STETLER, FRANKEL, DIVEN, WHEATLEY, MELIO, JOSEPHS, MANDERINO, O'NEILL, JAMES AND THOMAS, JUNE 4, 2003
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 15, 2003
AN ACT 1 Providing for Commonwealth support for a Mental Health and 2 Mental Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness Program for 3 Commonwealth residents who graduate from institutions of 4 higher education and who apply their degrees to careers as 5 mental health and mental retardation staff members in this 6 Commonwealth. 7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 8 hereby enacts as follows: 9 Section 1. Short title. 10 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Mental Health 11 and Mental Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness Program 12 Act. 13 Section 2. Findings and declaration of purpose. 14 The General Assembly finds and declares that: 15 (1) Community-based mental health and mental retardation 16 services and supports offer lifelong supports and
1 opportunities for a meaningful quality of life, in 2 fulfillment of Federal and State laws. 3 (2) A qualified and stable work force is the key to 4 quality community mental health and mental retardation 5 services. 6 (3) The pool of qualified staff members has diminished. 7 (4) The number of college students planning to enter the 8 mental health and mental retardation profession appears to be 9 inadequate to meet the need for staff members in this 10 Commonwealth. 11 (5) Demand from industry and other opportunities attract 12 potential staff members away from the profession. 13 (6) Payment of a portion of student loans for mental 14 health and mental retardation staff members serves the 15 important public purpose of encouraging new staff members to 16 continue their careers in this Commonwealth. 17 Section 3. Definitions. 18 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall 19 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the 20 context clearly indicates otherwise: 21 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance 22 Agency. 23 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the 24 following criteria: 25 (1) Is a resident of this Commonwealth. 26 (2) Has successfully completed a two-year or four-year 27 academic degree or diploma at an accredited college or 28 university. 29 (3) Has been hired as a full-time staff member by a 30 county mental health or mental retardation service agency 20030H1530B2796 - 2 -
1 through a merit or civil service system approved by the 2 Secretary of Public Welfare or by a private provider that is 3 under contract with a county to provide mental health or 4 mental retardation services. 5 (4) Has successfully completed both county and civil 6 service probationary periods or, in the case of a contracted 7 private provider, has successfully completed the provider's 8 established probationary period. 9 (5) Performs staff duties at a county mental health or 10 mental retardation service agency or at a private provider 11 that is under contract with a county to provide mental health 12 or mental retardation services. 13 (6) Has borrowed through a loan program administered by <-- 14 the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency. AND HAS <-- 15 A CURRENT OUTSTANDING BALANCE WITH THE AGENCY-ADMINISTERED 16 GUARANTEED STAFFORD OR CONSOLIDATION LOAN PROGRAMS. 17 (7) Is in or has completed the first year of full-time 18 employment as a staff member. 19 "Staff member." A caseworker, direct support professional, 20 therapist, program coordinator or director. 21 Section 4. Mental Health and Mental Retardation Staff Member 22 Loan Forgiveness Program. 23 (a) Components.-- 24 (1) A qualified applicant who is selected for the Mental 25 Health and Mental Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness 26 Program in accordance with this act shall be eligible for 27 payment by the agency of a portion of the debt incurred by 28 the applicant through an agency-administered loan program <-- 29 GUARANTEED STAFFORD OR CONSOLIDATION LOAN PROGRAMS for the <-- 30 education necessary to be a mental health or mental 20030H1530B2796 - 3 -
1 retardation staff member in this Commonwealth. 2 (2) The agency may forgive a proportional part of the 3 applicant's loan so that the loan may be entirely forgiven 4 over four years of full-time staff work. No more than $5,000 5 shall be forgiven in any year, and no more than $20,000 shall 6 be forgiven for any applicant. 7 (3) Payments shall be made in accordance with the 8 procedures established by the agency. 9 (b) Limitation.--A loan forgiveness award shall not be made 10 for a loan that is in default at the time of the application. 11 Section 5. Loan forgiveness awards. 12 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those 13 mental health and mental retardation staff members who are 14 working in and who have received a satisfactory rating from 15 either a county office of mental health or mental retardation 16 service or a private provider under contract to a county. Mental 17 health or mental retardation staff members shall be required to 18 submit such documentation of continued eligibility as the agency 19 may require. THIS DOCUMENTATION SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE AGENCY <-- 20 IN THE FORM OF A LETTER FROM THE APPLICANT'S EMPLOYER STATING 21 THAT THE APPLICANT IS EMPLOYED BY THE MENTAL HEALTH OR MENTAL 22 RETARDATION SERVICE PROVIDER AND THAT THE APPLICANT PERFORMS THE 23 APPLICANT'S DUTIES IN A SATISFACTORY MANNER. 24 Section 6. Funding. 25 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds 26 are appropriated by the General Assembly and are sufficient to 27 cover the administration of the program. In the event that 28 funding is insufficient to fully fund administration and all 29 eligible applicants, the agency shall utilize a random lottery 30 system for determining which applicants receive loan forgiveness 20030H1530B2796 - 4 -
1 awards. 2 Section 7. Responsibility of agency. 3 The agency shall administer the Mental Health and Mental 4 Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness Program established by 5 this act and to adopt such regulations, policies, procedures and 6 forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with the provisions 7 of this act. 8 Section 8. Effective date. 9 This act shall take effect in 60 days. E27L24DMS/20030H1530B2796 - 5 -