SB3925sam001 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Laura Fine

Filed: 2/7/2022

10200SB3925sam001 LRB102 22989 NHT 35698 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3925

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3925 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program is to recruit and retain qualified direct service professionals to work for community-based human services providers. Due to numerous factors, human services agencies have a high turnover rate and struggle to maintain consistent staffing levels. Many of these positions require degrees in human services-related fields of study. In addition, most human services positions require a graduate degree or postsecondary degree or certification. The higher education requirements for the human services workforce often means that many students graduate with a high level of debt for a job that pays slightly above minimum wage with a great deal of stress and burnout.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Eligible applicant" means a student who has graduated with a degree from an accredited college or university with an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in a human services field or has been independently licensed as a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a board-certified behavior analyst, or a registered behavior technician.

"Professional" means a position funded by a grant or contract from a State agency for the purposes of providing direct or indirect services that ensure that individuals have the essential elements to build and maintain physical, emotional, and economic well-being at every phase of life.

"Program" means the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program.

"Qualified program" means a program that offers an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university for the purpose of training and preparing students to be human services professionals.

"State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, and the Department of Public Health.

Section 15. Establishment of the Program. The Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program is created and shall be administered by the Commission. Subject to appropriation, the Program shall provide loan repayment assistance to eligible direct service professionals practicing in a community-based, human services agency that contracts with or is grant-funded by a State agency.

Section 20. Applications. Each year for which funds have been appropriated, the Commission shall receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Act. All applications must be submitted to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission. An eligible applicant must submit any supporting documents deemed necessary by the Commission at the time of application.

Section 25. Award; maximum loan time; maximum amount. The Commission shall award a grant to each eligible applicant for a cumulative maximum of 4 years. The recipient of a grant awarded by the Commission under this Act must use the grant award for payments toward the recipient's educational loans from a qualified program. The amount of the grant shall not exceed: (i) $25,000 per year for a master's degree in human services or higher; (ii) $15,000 per year for a bachelor's degree in human services; (iii) $3,000 per year for a direct service worker with an associate degree; and (iv) up to a $5,000 per year add-on if independently licensed as a licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a board-certified behavior analyst, or a registered behavior technician.

Section 30. Eligibility; work requirement.

(a) To be eligible to receive a grant under the Human Services Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Commission must find that the eligible applicant satisfies all of the following:

(1) The applicant is a United States citizen or an eligible noncitizen.

(2) The applicant is a resident of the State of Illinois.

(3) The applicant has worked for at least 24 consecutive months as a full-time employee as a human services professional in a community-based human services agency that currently has or did have a contract with a State agency to provide human services during the duration of applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure.

(4) The applicant holds a degree from a qualified program.

(5) The applicant is a borrower with an outstanding balance due on an educational loan.

(6) The applicant has not defaulted on an educational loan.

(7) The applicant must remain a full-time employee as a human services professional in a community-based human services agency for at least 12 months after receiving this grant.

(b) If the recipient of this grant fails to maintain full-time employment in a community-based human services agency for at least 12 months after receiving the grant, the Commission shall require the recipient to begin to repay the total amount of the grant within 90 calendar days after notification of employment ending. The repayment amount shall be prorated according to the fraction of employment obligation not completed, at a rate of interest equal to 5%.

(c) If the recipient's employment at a community-based human services agency is terminated for any reason other than for cause, the recipient must search for, apply to, and accept new, qualified, full-time employment as a human services professional in a community-based human services agency within 90 calendar days from the recipient's termination of full-time employment, otherwise the stipend recipient is subject to the repayment of stipend funds to the Commission.

(d) If the recipient's employment at a community-based human services agency is terminated for cause, the recipient shall repay the total amount of the grant received under this program within 90 calendar days after termination of full-time employment. The amount of repayment owed by the recipient shall be prorated based on the amount of the employment requirement that has been satisfied.

The Commission may grant preference to a previous recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements under this Section.

Section 35. Administration; rules. The Commission shall administer the Program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent with this Act for the Program's effective implementation.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 1, 2023.".