103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB2439
 
Introduced 2/10/2023, by Sen. Mattie Hunter
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:



110 ILCS 947/65.120 new
110 ILCS 947/65.125 new

 Amends the Higher Education Student Assistance Act. Creates the Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall create and administer a Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment Program for applicants whose role is to primarily serve recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals or for an organization that predominately serves recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals after receiving loan repayment assistance. Sets forth conditions to apply to the program, loan repayment requirements, application requirements, repayment amounts, and other conditions. Creates the Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional Grant Program. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall create and administer a Social Worker Grant Program for applicants whose role is to primarily serve recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals or for an organization that predominately serves recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals after receiving loan repayment assistance. Sets forth conditions to apply to the program, grant requirements, application requirements, repayment amounts, and other conditions. Effective January 1, 2024. 



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A BILL FOR
 


SB2439LRB103 27542 RJT 53917 b



1 AN ACT concerning education.


2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

3represented in the General Assembly:



4 Section 5. The Higher Education Student Assistance Act is 
5amended by adding Sections 65.120 and 65.125 as follows:

6 (110 ILCS 947/65.120 new)
7 Sec. 65.120. Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health 
8Professional Loan Repayment Program.
9 (a) As used in this Section:
10 "Accredited school" means a college or university in which 
11a degree in social work, or an equivalent credential for a 
12health program is earned and for which the Council for Higher 
13Education Accreditation or its affiliates has determined that 
14the school meets specific standards for its programs, faculty, 
15and curriculum.
16 "Applicant" means a certified community health worker, 
17licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, a 
18licensed clinical professional counselor, a licensed 
19practitioner of the healing arts, or a licensed marriage and 
20family therapist who applies for loan repayment assistance 
21under this Section.
22 "Commercial loan" means a loan made by a bank, credit 
23union, savings and loan association, insurance company, 
 
 
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1school, or other financial institution.
2 "Default" means failure to meet a legal obligation or 
3condition of a loan.
4 "Health professional shortage area" or "HPSA" means a

5designation from the federal Department of Health and Human

6Services that indicates the shortage of primary medical care

7or dental or mental health providers. The designation may be

8geographic, such as a county or service area; demographic,

9such as low-income population; or institutional, such as a

10comprehensive health center, federally qualified health 
11center, or other public facility.
12 "Dual eligible beneficiary" means an individual who 
13qualifies for both medical assistance and Medicare.
14 "Government loan" means a loan made by a federal, State, 
15county, or city agency authorized to make the loan.
16 "Lender" means the commercial or government entity that 
17makes a qualifying loan.
18 "Loan repayment award" or "award" means the amount of 
19funding awarded to a recipient based upon his or her 
20reasonable educational expenses, up to a maximum established 
21by the program.
22 "Medical assistance" refers to benefits provided under the 
23medical assistance program under Article V of the Illinois 
24Public Aid Code. 
25 "Qualifying loan" means a government loan or commercial 
26loan used for tuition and reasonable educational and living 
 
 
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1expenses related to undergraduate or graduate education that 
2was obtained by the recipient prior to his or her application 
3for loan repayment and that is contemporaneous with the 
4education received.
5 "Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional 
6Loan Repayment Program" or "Loan Repayment Program" means the 
7Social Worker Loan and Qualified Mental Health Professional 
8Repayment Program created under subsection (b) of this 
9Section.
10 "Recipient" means a licensed social worker, licensed 
11clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional 
12counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, or a 
13licensed marriage and family therapist that may use loan 
14repayment or grant funds.
15 (b) The Commission shall create and administer a Social 
16Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional Loan Repayment 
17Program. An applicant whose role is to primarily serve 
18recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals or 
19who is employed by an organization that predominately serves 
20recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals may 
21apply to the Commission for loan repayment assistance under 
22the Loan Repayment Program. In order to be eligible for loan 
23repayment under this Section, the applicant shall comply with 
24the following:
25  (1) Be a current resident of the State.
26  (2) Be serving primarily recipients of medical 
 
 
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1 assistance or uninsured individuals, or be employed by an 
2 organization that predominately serves recipients of 
3 medical assistance or uninsured individuals; or have an 
4 offer of employment primarily serving recipients of 
5 medical assistance or uninsured individuals or at an 
6 organization that predominately serves recipients of 
7 medical assistance or uninsured individuals and begin 
8 employment within 90 calendar days from submission of an 
9 application.
10  (3) Have an undergraduate or graduate level social 
11 work degree from an accredited school and have a current, 
12 valid, and unencumbered license to practice the profession 
13 in the State.
14  (4) Be a borrower with an outstanding balance on an 
15 educational loan.
16  (5) Have not defaulted on an educational loan.
17  (6) Submit an application to participate in the Loan 
18 Repayment Program.
19  (7) Sign a written agreement attesting to accepting 
20 repayment of social work educational loans and to serve 
21 for a 5-year period of obligated service in a role 
22 primarily serving recipients of medical assistance or 
23 uninsured individuals or for an organization that 
24 predominately serves recipients of medical assistance or 
25 uninsured individuals after receiving loan repayment 
26 assistance. The written agreement shall outline details of 
 
 
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1 the loan repayment service obligations, including, but not 
2 limited to, the time frame required for the recipient to 
3 fulfill the service obligation.
4 (c) All applications must be submitted to the Commission 
5in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission.
6 (d) The amount of the loan repayment shall not exceed 
7$6,500 for each qualified applicant in the Loan Repayment 
8Program.
9 (e) Loan repayment funds under the Loan Repayment Program 
10shall be used according to the following:
11  (1) To repay qualifying educational loans of social 
12 workers in Illinois whose role is to primarily serve 
13 recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals 
14 or who are employed by an organization that predominately 
15 serves recipients of medical assistance or uninsured 
16 individuals for a 5-year period after receiving loan 
17 repayment assistance.
18  (2) For educational loans that were obtained prior to 
19 the date the recipient submits an application for loan 
20 repayment assistance.
21  (3) To retire qualifying educational loans if the 
22 loans are the result of consolidated or refinanced debt. 
23 To qualify, the consolidated or refinanced loans shall:
24   (A) be a government loan or a loan from a 
25 commercial lender; and
26   (B) include only qualifying educational loans of 
 
 
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1 the social worker.
2 (f) An individual who meets the eligibility requirements 
3set forth in this Section may apply for loan repayment 
4authorized by this Section. In order to promote greater 
5diversity and community representation in healthcare, the 
6Commission shall set forward criteria that prioritizes 
7applicants, including, but not limited to, the following:
8  (1) Those who identify as a person from a race, 
9 ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or 
10 disability status that is underrepresented in the 
11 healthcare sector.
12  (2) Persons working in a health professional shortage 
13 area, including, but not limited to, rural healthcare 
14 settings.
15 (g) An individual who is awarded a loan repayment under

16this Section shall not receive a concurrent loan repayment 
17through
any other State or federal loan repayment program. 
18Nothing
in this Section prevents an individual from receiving 
19consecutive
loan repayment awards under this Section or any 
20other State or
federal program. 

21 (110 ILCS 947/65.125 new)
22 Sec. 65.125. Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health 
23Professional Grant Program.
24 (a) As used in this Section:
25 "Accredited school" means a college or university in which 
 
 
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1a degree in social work, or an equivalent credential for a 
2health program is earned and for which the Council for Higher 
3Education Accreditation or its affiliates has determined that 
4the school meets specific standards for its programs, faculty, 
5and curriculum.
6 "Applicant" means a licensed social worker, licensed 
7clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional 
8counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, or a 
9licensed marriage and family therapist who applies for grant 
10under this Section.
11 "Commercial loan" means a loan made by a bank, credit 
12union, savings and loan association, insurance company, 
13school, or other financial institution.
14 "Default" means failure to meet a legal obligation or 
15condition of a loan.
16 "Dual eligible beneficiary" means an individual who 
17qualifies for both medical assistance and Medicare.
18 "Health professional shortage area" or "HPSA" means a

19designation from the federal Department of Health and Human

20Services that indicates the shortage of primary medical care

21or dental or mental health providers. The designation may be

22geographic, such as a county or service area; demographic,

23such as low-income population; or institutional, such as a

24comprehensive health center, federally qualified health 
25center, or other public facility.
26 "Government loan" means a loan made by a federal, State, 
 
 
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1county, or city agency authorized to make the loan.
2 "Lender" means the commercial or government entity that 
3makes a qualifying loan.
4 "Loan repayment award" or "award" means the amount of 
5funding awarded to a recipient based upon his or her 
6reasonable educational expenses, up to a maximum established 
7by the program.
8 "Medical assistance" refers to benefits provided under the 
9medical assistance program under Article V of the Illinois 
10Public Aid Code. 
11 "Qualifying loan" means a government loan or commercial 
12loan used for tuition and reasonable educational and living 
13expenses related to undergraduate or graduate education that 
14was obtained by the recipient prior to his or her application 
15for loan repayment and that is contemporaneous with the 
16education received.
17 "Social Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional 
18Grant Program" or "Grant Program" means the Social Worker and 
19Qualified Mental Health Professional Grant Program created 
20under this Section.
21 "Recipient" means a licensed social worker, licensed 
22clinical social worker, a licensed clinical professional 
23counselor, a licensed practitioner of the healing arts, or a 
24licensed marriage and family therapist that may use loan 
25repayment or grant funds.
26 (b) The Commission shall create and administer a Social 
 
 
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1Worker and Qualified Mental Health Professional Grant Program. 
2An applicant who agrees to serve in a role primarily serving 
3recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals or 
4at an organization that predominately serves recipients of 
5medical assistance or uninsured individuals for the required 
6timeframe may apply to the Commission for assistance with 
7educational expenses under the Grant Program. In order to be 
8eligible for a grant under this Section, the applicant shall 
9comply with the following:
10  (1) Be a current resident of the State.
11  (2) Agree to serve in a role primarily serving 
12 recipients of medical assistance or uninsured individuals 
13 or at an organization that predominately serves recipients 
14 of medical assistance or uninsured individuals for the 
15 required time frame.
16  (3) Be working toward completion of clinical 
17 professional experience requirements for social work 
18 licensure.
19  (4) Be working toward social work licensure as a part 
20 of a graduate level program at an accredited school.
21  (5) Submit an application to participate in the Grant 
22 Program.
23  (6) Sign a written agreement attesting to accepting 
24 the grant and to serve for a 5-year period of obligated 
25 service in a role primarily serving individuals on medical 
26 assistance or uninsured individuals or for an organization 
 
 
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1 that predominately serves recipients of medical assistance 
2 or uninsured individuals after completion of all 
3 applicable educational requirements. The written agreement 
4 shall outline details of the grant obligations, including, 
5 but not limited to, the time frame required for the 
6 recipient to fulfill the service obligation.
7 (c) The Commission shall receive and consider applications 
8for assistance with educational expenses under this Section 
9each year. All applications must be submitted to the 
10Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission.
11 (d) The grant amount shall not exceed $6,500 for each 
12qualified applicant in the Grant Program. The Commission shall 
13award a one-time grant to each qualified applicant.
14 (e) Funds under the Grant Program shall be used according 
15to the following:
16  (1) To pay for costs associated with social work 
17 licensure or completion of a graduate level social work 
18 degree at an accredited school if the applicant agrees to 
19 serve in a role primarily serving recipients of medical 
20 assistance or uninsured individuals or at an organization 
21 that
predominately serves recipients of medical assistance 
22 or uninsured individuals for a 5-year period after 
23 completion of applicable educational requirements.
24 (f) An individual who meets the eligibility requirements 
25set forth in this Section may apply for a grant authorized by 
26this Section. In order to promote greater diversity and 
 
 
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1community representation in healthcare, the Commission shall 
2set forward criteria that prioritizes applicants, including, 
3but not limited to, the following:
4  (1) Those who identify as a person from a race, 
5 ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or 
6 disability status that is underrepresented in the 
7 healthcare sector.
8  (2) Persons working in a Health Professional Shortage 
9 Area, including, but not limited to, rural healthcare 
10 settings. 


11 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January 
121, 2024.