PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1935, 2796 PRINTER'S NO. 4243
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, THOMAS, GRUCELA, CAUSER, SURRA,
CALTAGIRONE, WILT, TURZAI, MUSTIO AND DALLY, JUNE 4, 2003
AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 30, 2004
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
1 services and supports offer lifelong supports and
2 opportunities for a meaningful quality of life, in
3 fulfillment of Federal and State laws.
4 (2) A qualified and stable work force is the key to
5 quality community mental health and mental retardation
6 services.
7 (3) The pool of qualified staff members has diminished.
8 (4) The number of college students planning to enter the
9 mental health and mental retardation profession appears to be
10 inadequate to meet the need for staff members in this
11 Commonwealth.
12 (5) Demand from industry and other opportunities attract
13 potential staff members away from the profession.
14 (6) Payment of a portion of student loans for mental
15 health and mental retardation staff members serves the
16 important public purpose of encouraging new staff members to
17 continue their careers in this Commonwealth.
18 Section 3. Definitions.
19 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
20 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
21 context clearly indicates otherwise:
22 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
23 Agency.
24 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the
25 following criteria:
26 (1) Is a resident of this Commonwealth.
27 (2) Has successfully completed a two-year or four-year
28 academic degree or diploma at an accredited college or
29 university.
30 (3) Has been hired as a full-time staff member by a
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1 county mental health or mental retardation service agency
2 WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH through a merit or civil service <--
3 system approved by the Secretary of Public Welfare or by a
4 private provider that is under contract with EITHER a county <--
5 to provide mental health or mental retardation services OR <--
6 THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
7 REHABILITATION SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
8 DISABILITIES.
9 (4) Has successfully completed both county and civil
10 service probationary periods or, in the case of a contracted
11 private provider, has successfully completed the provider's
12 established probationary period.
13 (5) Performs staff duties at a county mental health or
14 mental retardation service agency WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH or <--
15 at a private provider WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH that is under <--
16 contract with EITHER a county to provide mental health or <--
17 mental retardation services OR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC <--
18 WELFARE TO PROVIDE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REHABILITATION SERVICES
19 TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
20 (6) Has borrowed through and has a current outstanding
21 balance with the agency-administered Guaranteed Stafford or
22 Consolidation Loan Programs.
23 (7) Is in or has HAS completed the first year of full- <--
24 time employment as a staff member.
25 "Staff member." A caseworker, direct support professional,
26 therapist, program coordinator or director.
27 Section 4. Mental Health and Mental Retardation Staff Member
28 Loan Forgiveness Program.
29 (a) Components.--
30 (1) A qualified applicant who is selected for the Mental
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1 Health and Mental Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness
2 Program in accordance with this act shall be eligible for
3 payment by the agency of a portion of the debt incurred by
4 the applicant through an agency-administered Guaranteed
5 Stafford or Consolidation Loan Programs for the education
6 necessary to be a mental health or mental retardation staff
7 member in this Commonwealth.
8 (2) The agency may forgive a proportional part of the
9 applicant's loan so that the loan may be entirely forgiven
10 over four years of full-time staff work. No more than $5,000
11 shall be forgiven in any year, and no more than $20,000 shall
12 be forgiven for any applicant.
13 (3) Payments shall be made in accordance with the
14 procedures established by the agency.
15 (b) Limitation.--LIMITATIONS.--A loan forgiveness award <--
16 shall not be made for a loan that is in default at the time of
17 the application. LOAN FORGIVENESS PROVIDED UNDER THE PROVISIONS <--
18 OF THIS ACT SHALL NOT BE AWARDED TO A RECIPIENT OF ANOTHER
19 COMMONWEALTH-PROVIDED LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM CONCURRENTLY.
20 Section 5. Loan forgiveness awards.
21 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
22 mental health and mental retardation staff members who are
23 working in and who have received a satisfactory rating from
24 either a county office of mental health or mental retardation
25 service or a private provider under contract to a county. Mental <--
26 SERVICE WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH OR A PRIVATE PROVIDER WITHIN <--
27 THIS COMMONWEALTH UNDER CONTRACT TO EITHER A COUNTY OR THE
28 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WELFARE. MENTAL health or mental
29 retardation staff members shall be required to submit such
30 documentation of continued eligibility as the agency may
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1 require. This documentation shall be presented to the agency in
2 the form of a letter from the applicant's employer stating that
3 the applicant is employed by the mental health or mental
4 retardation service provider and that the applicant performs the
5 applicant's duties in a satisfactory manner.
6 Section 6. Funding.
7 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
8 are appropriated by the General Assembly and are sufficient to
9 cover the administration of the program. In the event that
10 funding is insufficient to fully fund administration and all
11 eligible applicants, the agency shall utilize a random lottery
12 system for determining which applicants receive loan forgiveness
13 awards.
14 Section 7. Responsibility of agency.
15 The agency shall administer the Mental Health and Mental
16 Retardation Staff Member Loan Forgiveness Program established by
17 this act and to adopt such regulations, policies, procedures and
18 forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with the provisions
19 of this act.
20 Section 8. Effective date.
21 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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