Regular Session 2021-2022 House Bill 1690 P.N. 1909

PRINTER'S NO. 1909

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1690

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY SCHLOSSBERG, R. BROWN, McNEILL, ORTITAY, SNYDER,

THOMAS, BENHAM, BRADFORD, CIRESI, T. DAVIS, DELLOSO, DeLUCA,

DRISCOLL, GUENST, HANBIDGE, HARRIS, HILL-EVANS, HOHENSTEIN,

HOWARD, MADDEN, MALAGARI, NEILSON, N. NELSON, ROZZI,

SAMUELSON, SANCHEZ, STRUZZI AND WEBSTER, JUNE 24, 2021

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, JUNE 24, 2021

AN ACT

Establishing the Emerging Health Service Psychologist Program;

and providing for authorization of internship positions, for

award of internship positions and for funding of program; and

making an appropriation.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Emerging

Health Service Psychologists Program Act.

Section 2. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Commitment stipend." Money provided under the program to a

qualified applicant who enters into a contract with the

department under section 3(c)(1).

"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.

"Internship position." An internship position authorized by

the department for the program under section 4.

"Mental health professional shortage area or facility." Any

of the following:

(1) An area in this Commonwealth which has been

certified by the department as having a shortage of mental

health professionals based on any of the following:

(i) The designation of the area's geographic

location by the Bureau of Health Workforce under the

United States Health Resources and Services

Administration as having a shortage of mental health

professionals.

(ii) The department's determination that the area

has a critical shortage of psychologists.

(2) A facility in this Commonwealth which has been

certified by the department as having a shortage of mental

health professionals based on any of the following:

(i) The designation of the facility by the Bureau of

Health Workforce under the United States Health Resources

and Services Administration as having a shortage of

mental health professionals.

(ii) The department's determination that the

facility has a critical shortage of psychologists.

"Program." The Emerging Health Service Psychologist Program

established under section 3(a).

"Qualified applicant." An individual who meets all of the

criteria under section 3(b).

"Recipient." A qualified applicant who receives a commitment

stipend.

Section 3. Emerging Health Service Psychologist Program.

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(a) Establishment.--The Emerging Service Psychologist

Program is established within the department. The department

shall administer the program to provide commitment stipends to

qualified applicants who continue to practice psychology in

mental health professional shortage areas. The department may

consult with the Department of Human Services and the Department

of Health to administer the program.

(b) Qualifications.--To qualify for the program, an

individual shall meet all of the following criteria:

(1) The individual shall be a resident of this

Commonwealth.

(2) The individual shall be a graduate of an accredited

college or university holding a degree of Doctor of

Philosophy in psychology, Doctor of Psychology or Doctor of

Education in psychology or a doctoral degree in a field

related to psychology.

(3) The individual may not have previously completed the

equivalent of 12 months or 1,750 hours of a doctoral

internship program or position accredited by the American

Psychological Association or Canadian Psychological

Association.

(4) The individual shall submit an application to the

department on a form and in a manner specified by the

department.

(1) A qualified applicant shall be eligible to receive a

commitment stipend if the qualified applicant enters into a

contract with the department to continue serving in a mental

health professional shortage area upon the completion of an

internship position under section 4.

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(2) A recipient shall be provided with a commitment

stipend of an amount up to $30,000 for the duration of the

internship position.

Section 4. Authorization of internship positions.

Subject to the availability of funds for the program, the

department shall authorize internship positions located within

mental health professional shortage areas to participate in the

program in accordance with the following:

(1) The department shall ensure that the authorized

internship positions are equally distributed across rural and

urban areas of this Commonwealth.

(2) The department shall ensure that internship

positions provide qualified applicants with comprehensive

clinical training, supervision and instructional experiences

that prepare qualified applicants with the necessary

competencies to enter into the health care workforce.

(3) The department shall prioritize authorizing

internship positions in facilities that provide Medicaid-

covered mental health services and are accredited by the

American Psychological Association.

(4) The department shall ensure that internship

positions satisfy the requirements for supervised experience

necessary to obtain licensure to practice psychology in

accordance with the act of March 23, 1972 (P.L.136, No.52),

known as the Professional Psychologists Practice Act.

Section 5. Award of internship positions.

(a) Applications.--The department shall establish a process

for a qualified applicant to apply for and receive an internship

position in accordance with this act.

(b) Obligations of recipient.--A qualified applicant shall

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enter into a contract with the department that requires the

recipient, upon the successful completion of an internship

position, to be employed as a psychologist in a designated

mental health professional shortage area for a period of not

less than 12 months. The recipient shall have the following

duties:

(1) The recipient shall permit the department to

determine compliance with the employment requirements and all

other terms of the contract.

(2) The recipient shall apply for licensure to practice

psychology in accordance with the act of March 23, 1972

(P.L.136, No.52), known as the Professional Psychologists

Practice Act, at the first opportunity after completion of

the internship position.

(3) Within six months after receiving licensure to

practice psychology under the Professional Psychologists

Practice Act, the recipient shall be employed as a

psychologist serving in a mental health professional shortage

area. The department may exempt a recipient from the

employment deadline under this paragraph in accordance with

the policies and procedures adopted by the department as

necessary to implement the program under section 7.

the requirements under subsection (b) shall reimburse the

department for the amount of the commitment stipend. Money

collected by the department from reimbursements under this

subsection shall be used exclusively to fund the program and

shall not be used for any other purpose.

Section 6. Funding of program.

The department shall award commitment stipends to recipients

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to the extent that money is available to cover the

administration of the program.

Section 7. Appropriation.

The sum of $4,500,000 is hereby appropriated from the General

Fund to the department for the purpose of administering the

program.

Section 8. Regulations.

The department shall promulgate regulations, adopt policies

and procedures and establish forms as necessary to implement

this act.

Section 9. Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 90 days.

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