Sen. Laura Fine

Filed: 2/15/2022

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3925

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3925, AS AMENDED,
3by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the
4following:
 
5    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Human
6Services Professional Loan Repayment Program Act.
 
7    Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Human Services
8Professional Loan Repayment Program is to recruit and retain
9qualified human service professionals to work for
10community-based human services providers. Due to numerous
11factors, human services agencies have a high turnover rate and
12struggle to maintain consistent staffing levels. Many of these
13positions require degrees in human services-related fields of
14study. In addition, most human services positions require a
15graduate degree or postsecondary degree or certification. The
16higher education requirements for the human services workforce

 

 

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1often means that many students graduate with a high level of
2debt for a job that pays slightly above minimum wage with a
3great deal of stress and burnout.
 
4    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:
5    "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
6Commission.
7    "Professional" means an individual employed by a human
8services agency that contracts with or is grant-funded by a
9State agency for the purposes of providing direct or indirect
10services that ensure that individuals have the essential
11elements to build and maintain physical, emotional, and
12economic well-being at every phase of life.
13    "Program" means the Human Services Professional Loan
14Repayment Program.
15    "Qualified program" means a program that offers an
16associate, bachelor's, or master's degree from an accredited
17college or university.
18    "State agency" means the Department of Human Services, the
19Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of
20Juvenile Justice, the Department on Aging, and the Department
21of Public Health.
 
22    Section 15. Establishment of the Program. The Human
23Services Professional Loan Repayment Program is created and
24shall be administered by the Commission. Subject to

 

 

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1appropriation, the Program shall provide loan repayment
2assistance to eligible professionals practicing in a
3community-based, human services agency that contracts with or
4is grant-funded by a State agency.
 
5    Section 20. Applications. Each year for which funds have
6been appropriated, the Commission shall receive and consider
7applications for loan repayment assistance under this Act. All
8applications must be submitted to the Commission in a form and
9manner prescribed by the Commission. An eligible professional
10must submit any supporting documents deemed necessary by the
11Commission at the time of application.
 
12    Section 25. Award; maximum loan time; maximum amount. The
13Commission shall award a grant to each eligible applicant for
14a cumulative maximum of 4 years. The recipient of a grant
15awarded by the Commission under this Act must use the grant
16award for payments toward the recipient's educational loans
17from a qualified program. The amount of the grant shall not
18exceed: (i) $25,000 per year for a master's degree or higher;
19(ii) $15,000 per year for a bachelor's degree; (iii) $3,000
20per year for a professional with an associate degree; and (iv)
21up to a $5,000 per year add-on if independently licensed as a
22licensed clinical social worker, a licensed clinical
23professional counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing
24arts, a licensed marriage and family therapist, a

 

 

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1board-certified behavior analyst, or a registered behavior
2technician.
 
3    Section 30. Eligibility; work requirement.
4    (a) To be eligible to receive a grant under the Human
5Services Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Commission
6must find that the eligible professional satisfies all of the
7following:
8        (1) The applicant is a resident of the State of
9    Illinois.
10        (2) The applicant has worked for at least 24
11    consecutive months as a full-time employee as a human
12    services professional in a community-based human services
13    agency that currently has or did have a contract with a
14    State agency to provide human services during the duration
15    of applicant's 24 consecutive month tenure.
16        (3) The applicant is a borrower with an outstanding
17    balance due on an educational loan.
18        (4) The applicant has not defaulted on an educational
19    loan.
20        (5) The applicant must remain a full-time employee as
21    a human services professional in the same community-based
22    human services agency for at least 12 months after
23    receiving this grant.
24    (b) The Commission may grant preference to a previous
25recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the

 

 

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1recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements under
2this Section.
 
3    Section 35. Administration; rules. The Commission shall
4administer the Program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent
5with this Act for the Program's effective implementation.
 
6    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
71, 2023.".