An Act amending the act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), known as the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act, establishing the Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed Professional Counselors Grant Program; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

PRINTER'S NO. 2200
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1790
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SCOTT, FREEMAN, RIVERA, HILL-EVANS, D. WILLIAMS,
SANCHEZ, MAYES, MALAGARI AND CIRESI, AUGUST 6, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, AUGUST 10, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), entitled "An
act licensing and regulating the practice of social work;
providing penalties; and making an appropriation,"
establishing the Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers,
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
Professional Counselors Grant Program; and imposing duties on
the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), known
as the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and
Professional Counselors Act, is amended by adding a section to
read:
Section 6.1. Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed
Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
Professional Counselors Grant Program.
(a) Establishment of program.--The Future Licensed Clinical
Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and
Licensed Professional Counselors Grant Program is established
within the agency.
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(b) Duties of agency.--
(1) The agency shall, in consultation with the board,
administer the program and award grants on a first-come,
first-served basis to individuals who submit a completed
application and satisfy the eligibility criteria under
paragraph (3). No later than 180 days after the effective
date of this paragraph, the agency shall develop an
application form that individuals may use to apply for a
grant under the program.
(2) The agency shall use money appropriated for the
purpose of the program and may accept funding from public and
private sources, including the Federal Government, for the
payment of grants to support individuals completing required
hours of supervised clinical experience to become licensed
clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family
therapists or licensed professional counselors.
(3) The agency shall establish eligibility criteria in
order for an individual to receive a grant under the program.
The eligibility criteria shall include, at a minimum, that an
individual:
(i) Be a resident of this Commonwealth as defined by
the agency.
(ii) Meet one of the following requirements:
(A) Have received a master's degree in social
work or social welfare and be in the process of
completing the required hours of supervised clinical
experience to become a licensed clinical social
worker in accordance with section 7(d)(3).
(B) Be licensed as a licensed associate marriage
and family therapist and be in the process of
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completing the required hours of supervised clinical
experience to become a licensed marriage and family
therapist in accordance with section 7(e)(3).
(C) Be licensed as a licensed associate
professional counselor and be in the process of
completing the required hours of supervised clinical
experience to become a licensed professional
counselor in accordance with section 7(f)(3).
(iii) Be ineligible to receive a grant and has not
received a grant under section 1318-B of the act of March
10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code
of 1949.
(iv) Enter into a contract with the agency to work
as a licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage
and family therapist or licensed professional counselor
in this Commonwealth, following the completion of the
individual's required hours of supervised clinical
experience needed to become a fully licensed
professional, for a period of not less than two years,
unless the agency determines that there are extenuating
circumstances.
(c) Grant amount.--A recipient shall receive a grant under
the program of $5,000.
(d) Taxability.--For the purposes of computing the tax under
Article III of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as
the Tax Reform Code of 1971, the classes of income under section
303 of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 shall not include a payment
received by an individual under this section.
(e) Number of grants.--An individual may not receive more
than one grant under the program.
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(f) Reports.--
(1) No later than September 30, 2026, and each September
30 thereafter, the agency shall issue a report detailing the
operation of the program to the extent that money is
available to award grants under the program.
(2) Each report under this subsection, at a minimum,
must include the following information regarding grants under
the program for the previous fiscal year:
(i) The number of grant applicants.
(ii) The number of grants awarded.
(iii) The number of grants awarded to individuals
seeking to become licensed clinical social workers.
(iv) The number of grants awarded to individuals
seeking to become licensed marriage and family
therapists.
(v) The number of grants awarded to individuals
seeking to become licensed professional counselors.
(3) The agency shall deliver each report under this
subsection to:
(i) The Governor.
(ii) The Secretary of Education.
(iii) The Secretary of the Commonwealth.
(iv) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee
of the Senate.
(v) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Professional Licensure Committee of the House of
Representatives.
(vi) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
Education Committee of the Senate.
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(vii) The chairperson and minority chairperson of
the Education Committee of the House of Representatives.
(4) Each report under this subsection shall be posted on
the publicly accessible Internet website of the agency.
(g) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
Agency.
"Program." The Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers,
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
Professional Counselors Grant Program established under
subsection (a).
"Supervised clinical experience." Experience as a supervisee
in a setting that is organized to prepare an individual for the
practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy or
professional counseling in accordance with the requirements
established by the board.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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