PRINTER'S NO. 564
No. 527 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY BELAN, SCHWARTZ, O'PAKE, STAPLETON, PORTERFIELD,
LAVALLE, WILLIAMS, AFFLERBACH, BELL, FATTAH, DAWIDA, STOUT,
PETERSON AND MELLOW, FEBRUARY 19, 1993
REFERRED TO AGING AND YOUTH, FEBRUARY 19, 1993
AN ACT
1 Providing for Commonwealth support for a Children and Youth
2 Caseworker Loan Forgiveness Program for Commonwealth
3 residents who graduate from institutions of higher education
4 and who apply their degrees to careers as children and youth
5 caseworkers in this Commonwealth.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Children and
10 Youth Caseworker Loan Forgiveness Program Act.
11 Section 2. Findings and declaration of purpose.
12 The General Assembly finds and declares that:
13 (1) The number of college students planning to enter the
14 children and youth profession appears to be inadequate to
15 meet the need for caseworkers in this Commonwealth.
16 (2) Demand from industry and other opportunities attract
17 existing and potential caseworkers away from the profession.
18 (3) The pool of qualified caseworkers has diminished.
19 (4) Payment of a portion of student loans for children
1 and youth caseworkers serves the important public purpose of
2 encouraging new caseworkers to continue their careers in this
3 Commonwealth.
4 Section 3. Definitions.
5 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
6 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
7 context clearly indicates otherwise:
8 "Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
9 Agency of the Commonwealth.
10 "Qualified applicant." A person who meets all of the
11 following criteria:
12 (1) The person has been hired as a full-time caseworker
13 by a county children and youth services agency through a
14 merit or civil service system approved by the Secretary of
15 Public Welfare.
16 (2) The person has successfully completed both county
17 and civil service probationary periods.
18 (3) The person is performing casework duties at a county
19 children and youth service agency.
20 (4) The person has borrowed through the agency-
21 administered Stafford Loan Program.
22 "Secretary." The Secretary of Public Welfare of the
23 Commonwealth.
24 Section 4. Children and Youth Caseworker Loan Forgiveness
25 Program.
26 A qualified applicant who is selected for the Children and
27 Youth Caseworker Loan Forgiveness Program in accordance with
28 this act shall be eligible for payment by the agency of a
29 portion of the debt incurred by the applicant through the
30 agency-administered Stafford Loan Program for the education
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1 necessary to be certified as a children and youth caseworker in
2 this Commonwealth. For each year that the applicant is a full-
3 time children and youth caseworker in an approved county
4 children and youth department, the agency may forgive a
5 proportional part of the applicant's loan so that the loan may
6 be entirely forgiven over four years of full-time casework. No
7 more than $2,500 shall be forgiven in any year, and no more than
8 $10,000 shall be forgiven for any applicant. Payments shall be
9 made in accordance with the procedures established by the
10 agency.
11 Section 5. Loan forgiveness awards.
12 Recipients of the loan forgiveness awards shall be those
13 children and youth caseworkers who are certified by the
14 secretary and who have received a satisfactory rating by the
15 county office of children and youth services. Each children and
16 youth caseworker shall be required to submit such documentation
17 of continued eligibility as the agency may require.
18 Section 6. Funding.
19 Loan forgiveness awards may be made to the extent that funds
20 are appropriated by the General Assembly.
21 Section 7. Responsibility of agency.
22 It shall be the responsibility of the agency to administer
23 the Children and Youth Caseworker Loan Forgiveness Program
24 established by this act and to adopt such regulations, policies,
25 procedures and forms as are necessary and not inconsistent with
26 the provisions of this act.
27 Section 8. Effective date.
28 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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