Senate Study Bill 3079 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON RAGAN) A BILL FOR An Act creating a licensed social worker loan repayment program 1 and a revolving fund. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5690XC (1) 84 jr/nh

S.F. _____ Section 1. NEW SECTION . 261.113 Licensed social worker loan 1 repayment program. 2 1. A licensed social worker loan repayment program is 3 established, to be administered by the college student aid 4 commission for the purpose of increasing the number of social 5 workers serving in critical human service areas. For purposes 6 of this section, “critical human service area” includes but 7 is not limited to an area of the state with a shortage of 8 social workers providing health, mental health, substance 9 abuse, aging, HIV/AIDS, victim, or child welfare services, 10 or communities with multilingual needs. These areas shall 11 be designated by the college student aid commission, in 12 consultation with a committee comprised of one representative 13 each from the commission, the department of public health, and 14 the department of human services. 15 2. The contract for the loan repayment shall stipulate the 16 time period the licensed social worker shall practice in a 17 critical human service area. In addition, the contract shall 18 stipulate that the licensed social worker repay any funds paid 19 on the person’s loan by the commission if the person fails to 20 practice in a critical human service area for the required 21 period of time. 22 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION . 261.114 Licensed social worker loan 23 repayment revolving fund. 24 1. A licensed social worker loan repayment revolving fund 25 is created in the state treasury as a separate fund under 26 the control of the commission. The commission shall deposit 27 payments made by program participants under section 261.113, 28 subsection 2, moneys appropriated for purposes of the licensed 29 social worker loan repayment program, and any other available 30 funds into the loan repayment revolving fund. Moneys in the 31 fund shall be used for purposes of the licensed social worker 32 loan repayment program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys 33 deposited in the fund shall not revert to any fund of the state 34 at the end of any fiscal year but shall remain in the fund and 35 -1- LSB 5690XC (1) 84 jr/nh 1/ 3

S.F. _____ be continuously available for the program. 1 2. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 2 or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited 3 to the fund. 4 3. a. The annual amount of loan repayment is six thousand 5 five hundred dollars for individuals who have provided 6 full-time social work services in a critical human service 7 area in the year prior to such application, provided that 8 no recipient shall receive loan repayment that exceeds the 9 total remaining balance of the student loan debt and that 10 no recipient shall receive cumulative awards in excess of 11 twenty-five thousand dollars. 12 b. Awards shall be within the amounts appropriated for such 13 purpose and based on availability of funds. 14 4. Loan repayment awards shall be made annually to 15 applicants in the following order of priority: 16 a. First priority is given to applicants who have received 17 payment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year 18 and who have provided social work services in a critical human 19 service area in the year prior to such application. 20 b. Second priority is given to applicants who have not 21 received payment of an award pursuant to this section in 22 a prior year and who have provided social work services 23 in a critical human service area in the year prior to such 24 application. 25 c. Third priority is given to applicants who are 26 economically disadvantaged, as defined by the commission. 27 5. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 28 to administer this section. 29 EXPLANATION 30 This bill creates a licensed social worker loan repayment 31 program administered by the college student aid commission. 32 Applicants for the program must enter into an agreement with 33 the commission, agreeing to work for a specific period of time 34 in a “critical human service area”, defined as a geographic 35 -2- LSB 5690XC (1) 84 jr/nh 2/ 3

S.F. _____ area in Iowa with a shortage of social workers in health, 1 mental health, substance abuse, aging, HIV/AIDS, victim, or 2 child welfare concerns, or communities with multilingual needs. 3 The program provides a specific annual benefit, up to 4 $6,500, for licensed social workers who have worked in a 5 critical human service area in the previous year. No recipient 6 shall receive loan repayment that exceeds the total remaining 7 balance of the student loan debt and no recipient shall receive 8 cumulative awards in excess of $25,000. 9 The program is funded by a special revolving fund in 10 the state treasury, controlled by the college student aid 11 commission. The fund consists of moneys appropriated for 12 purposes of the program, repayments by participants who fail 13 to meet the service area requirements, and any other available 14 moneys. Moneys deposited in the fund do not revert to the 15 state at the end of any fiscal year but shall remain in the fund 16 and be continuously available for the program. Interest or 17 earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall also be credited 18 to the fund. 19 -3- LSB 5690XC (1) 84 jr/nh 3/ 3