Menéndez Bill Pays Social Work Students $15 An Hour

The text as introduced · 889 words

89R1052 JTZ-D

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 153

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to establishing a social work recruitment and retention

program administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding

Subchapter LL to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER LL. SOCIAL WORK RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PROGRAM

Sec. 61.9851. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "program"

means the social work intern practicum stipend (SWIPS) program.

Sec. 61.9852. ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM.

The board shall establish and administer a social work recruitment

and retention program to provide an intern practicum stipend to

assist students at institutions of higher education in obtaining

field hours necessary for program coursework related to completing

a bachelor's or master's degree in social work.

Sec. 61.9853. ELIGIBILITY; PRIORITY OF APPLICANTS. (a) To

be eligible to receive a stipend under the program, a student must:

(1) apply to the board in the form and manner

prescribed by board rule;

(2) be enrolled at an institution of higher education

in an educational program that is accredited by the Council on

Social Work Education leading to a bachelor's or master's degree in

social work;

(3) be accepted into a practicum placement approved by

the board for purposes of the program;

(4) enter into a written agreement with the board as

provided by board rule; and

(5) satisfy any other criteria prescribed by board

rule.

(b) The board shall establish a method for prioritizing

applicants for practicum stipends in the event the total amount of

money available to provide stipends under this subchapter for an

academic year is not sufficient to provide a stipend to each

applicant who is eligible under Subsection (a). The priority

criteria must include:

(1) qualification for need-based aid based on free

application for federal student aid (FAFSA) indicators; and

(2) practicum placement in a mental health

professional shortage area designated by the Department of State

Health Services.

Sec. 61.9854. PRACTICUM STIPEND AWARDS. (a) The amount of

a practicum stipend award to which an eligible student is entitled

is an amount equal to:

(1) for a student enrolled in a bachelor's degree

program, $15 per hour for each hour of supervised field hours in an

approved practicum program, not to exceed a total of $6,000; or

(2) for a student enrolled in a master's degree

program, $20 per hour for each hour of supervised field hours in an

approved practicum program, not to exceed a total of $9,000.

(b) Each academic year, the board shall provide money for

the practicum stipends to institutions of higher education with

Council on Social Work Education-accredited educational programs

based on the institution's anticipated need. Each institution shall

determine the timeline and procedure for distributing the money for

that academic year to eligible students based on the board's

priority criteria adopted under Section 61.9853(b), if applicable.

(c) An institution of higher education shall remit to the

board any unused money received by the institution under the

program for an academic year as soon as practicable following that

academic year.

Sec. 61.9855. PRIORITY OF INSTITUTIONS. The board shall

establish a method for prioritizing institutions of higher

education for distribution of practicum stipends in the event the

total amount of money available to provide stipends under this

subchapter for an academic year is not sufficient to provide money

for stipends at each institution described by Section 61.9854(b).

The priority criteria shall include:

(1) serving a high percentage of students who qualify

for need-based aid based on free application for federal student

aid (FAFSA) indicators;

(2) having a high number of students who complete

practicum placements in mental health professional shortage areas

designated by the Department of State Health Services; and

(3) designation as a historically black college or

university or a Hispanic-serving institution.

Sec. 61.9856. REPORTS. (a) Each institution of higher

education that receives money for practicum stipends under the

program for an academic year shall collect and submit data in the

form of a report to the board each semester. The report must include

information regarding:

(1) the amount of money distributed by the institution

under the program for that semester;

(2) the number of participants in the program during

that semester; and

(3) any other expenses incurred by the institution

related to the program for that semester.

(b) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year,

the board shall submit a report on the program to the governor, the

lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,

and each standing committee of the legislature with primary

jurisdiction over matters relating to finance. The report must

include an analysis of the program's effectiveness and any

recommendations for legislative or other action.

Sec. 61.9857. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary

for the administration of this subchapter.

SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

shall adopt rules for the administration of Subchapter LL, Chapter

61, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable

after this Act takes effect.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.