House File 218 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 218 BY M. SMITH , WESSEL-KROESCHELL , MURPHY , HANSON , KELLEY , GAINES , ISENHART , BERRY , COHOON , THEDE , WILLEMS , HEDDENS , HALL , KRESSIG , and STECKMAN A BILL FOR An Act relating to social work, including the licensure of 1 social workers and the creation of a licensed social worker 2 loan repayment program and a revolving fund. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh

H.F. 218 Section 1. Section 154C.1, Code 2011, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 4A. “Social worker” means a person who 3 holds a current license under this chapter or has received a 4 baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degree in social work from 5 an accredited school of social work approved by the council on 6 social work education. 7 Sec. 2. Section 154C.2, Code 2011, is amended by striking 8 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 9 154C.2 License required —— use of title. 10 1. A person shall not engage in the practice of social work 11 unless such person meets one of the following requirements: 12 a. Has received a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral 13 degree in social work from an accredited school of social work 14 approved by the council on social work education. 15 b. Holds a current social worker license pursuant to section 16 154C.3. 17 2. A government entity, public or private agency, or other 18 entity shall not use the title “social worker” or any form 19 of the title, including but not limited to the abbreviations 20 “S.W.”, “B.S.W.”, “M.S.W.”, “D.S.W.”, “L.B.S.W.”, “L.M.S.W.”, 21 or “L.I.S.W.”, for volunteer or employment positions or within 22 contracts for services, documents, manuals, or reference 23 materials unless the volunteers or employees in those positions 24 are licensed social workers as set forth in this chapter. 25 Sec. 3. Section 154C.3, subsection 1, Code 2011, is amended 26 to read as follows: 27 1. License requirements. An applicant for a license as a 28 bachelor social worker, master social worker, or independent 29 social worker shall meet the following requirements in addition 30 to paying all fees required by the board: 31 a. Bachelor social worker. An applicant for a license as a 32 bachelor social worker shall present evidence satisfactory to 33 the board that the applicant: 34 (1) Possesses a bachelor’s degree in social work from an 35 -1- LSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh 1/ 5

H.F. 218 accredited college or university school of social work approved 1 by the board council on social work education . 2 (2) Has passed an examination given by the board. 3 (3) Will conduct all professional activities as a bachelor 4 social worker in accordance with standards for professional 5 conduct established by the board. 6 b. Master social worker. An applicant for a license as a 7 master social worker shall present evidence satisfactory to the 8 board that the applicant: 9 (1) Possesses a master’s or doctoral degree in social work 10 from an accredited college or university school of social work 11 approved by the board council on social work education . 12 (2) Has passed an examination given by the board. 13 (3) Will conduct all professional activities as a master 14 social worker in accordance with standards for professional 15 conduct established by the board. 16 c. Independent social worker. An applicant for a license 17 as an independent social worker shall present evidence 18 satisfactory to the board that the applicant: 19 (1) Possesses a master’s or doctoral degree in social work 20 from an accredited college or university school of social work 21 approved by the board council on social work education . 22 (2) Has passed an examination given by the board. 23 (3) Will conduct all professional activities as a social 24 worker in accordance with standards for professional conduct 25 established by the board. 26 (4) Has engaged in the practice of social work, under 27 supervision, for at least two years as a full-time employee or 28 for four thousand hours prior to taking the examination given 29 by the board. 30 (5) (a) Supervision shall be provided in any of the 31 following manners: 32 (i) By a social worker licensed at least at the level of the 33 social worker being supervised and qualified under this section 34 to practice without supervision. 35 -2- LSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh 2/ 5

H.F. 218 (ii) By another qualified professional, if the board 1 determines that supervision by a social worker as defined 2 in subparagraph subdivision (i) is unobtainable or in other 3 situations considered appropriate by the board. 4 (b) Additional standards for supervision shall be 5 determined by the board. 6 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION . 261.113 Licensed social worker loan 7 repayment program. 8 1. A licensed social worker loan repayment program is 9 established, to be administered by the college student aid 10 commission for the purpose of increasing the number of social 11 workers serving in critical human service areas. For purposes 12 of this section, “critical human service area” includes but 13 is not limited to an area of the state with a shortage of 14 social workers providing health, mental health, substance 15 abuse, aging, HIV/AIDS, victim, or child welfare services, 16 or communities with multilingual needs. These areas shall 17 be designated by the college student aid commission, in 18 consultation with a committee comprised of one representative 19 each from the commission, the department of public health, and 20 the department of human services. 21 2. The contract for the loan repayment shall stipulate the 22 time period the licensed social worker shall practice in a 23 critical human service area. In addition, the contract shall 24 stipulate that the licensed social worker repay any funds paid 25 on the person’s loan by the commission if the person fails to 26 practice in a critical human service area for the required 27 period of time. 28 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION . 261.114 Licensed social worker loan 29 repayment revolving fund. 30 1. A licensed social worker loan repayment revolving fund 31 is created in the state treasury as a separate fund under 32 the control of the commission. The commission shall deposit 33 payments made by program participants under section 261.113, 34 subsection 2, moneys appropriated for purposes of the licensed 35 -3- LSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh 3/ 5

H.F. 218 social worker loan repayment program, and any other available 1 funds into the loan repayment revolving fund. Moneys in the 2 fund shall be used for purposes of the licensed social worker 3 loan repayment program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys 4 deposited in the fund shall not revert to any fund of the state 5 at the end of any fiscal year but shall remain in the fund and 6 be continuously available for the program. 7 2. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 8 or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited 9 to the fund. 10 3. a. The annual amount of loan repayment is six thousand 11 five hundred dollars for individuals who have provided 12 full-time social work services in a critical human service 13 area in the year prior to such application, provided that 14 no recipient shall receive loan repayment that exceeds the 15 total remaining balance of the student loan debt and that 16 no recipient shall receive cumulative awards in excess of 17 twenty-five thousand dollars. 18 b. Awards shall be within the amounts appropriated for such 19 purpose and based on availability of funds. 20 4. Loan repayment awards shall be made annually to 21 applicants in the following order of priority: 22 a. First priority is given to applicants who have received 23 payment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year 24 and who have provided social work services in a critical human 25 service area in the year prior to such application. 26 b. Second priority is given to applicants who have not 27 received payment of an award pursuant to this section in 28 a prior year and who have provided social work services 29 in a critical human service area in the year prior to such 30 application. 31 c. Third priority is given to applicants who are 32 economically disadvantaged, as defined by the commission. 33 5. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 34 to administer this section. 35 -4- LSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh 4/ 5

H.F. 218 EXPLANATION 1 This bill provides that only a person who is a licensed 2 social worker and has received a baccalaureate, master’s, 3 or doctoral degree in social work from an accredited school 4 approved by the council on social work education may use the 5 title “social worker” or any form or abbreviation of the title. 6 The bill creates a licensed social worker loan repayment 7 program administered by the college student aid commission. 8 Applicants for the program must enter into an agreement with 9 the commission, agreeing to work for a specific period of time 10 in a “critical human service area”, defined as a geographic 11 area in Iowa with a shortage of social workers in health, 12 mental health, substance abuse, aging, HIV/AIDS, victim, or 13 child welfare concerns, or communities with multilingual needs. 14 The program provides a specific annual benefit, up to 15 $6,500, for licensed social workers who have worked in a 16 critical human service area in the previous year. No recipient 17 shall receive loan repayment that exceeds the total remaining 18 balance of the student loan debt and no recipient shall receive 19 cumulative awards in excess of $25,000. 20 The program is funded by a special revolving fund in 21 the state treasury, controlled by the college student aid 22 commission. The fund consists of moneys appropriated for 23 purposes of the program, repayments by participants who fail 24 to meet the service area requirements, and any other available 25 moneys. Moneys deposited in the fund do not revert to the 26 state at the end of any fiscal year but shall remain in the fund 27 and be continuously available for the program. Interest or 28 earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall also be credited 29 to the fund. 30 -5- LSB 1154HH (7) 84 jr/nh 5/ 5