HB 1790 — 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
 1   Amending the act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), entitled "An
 2      act licensing and regulating the practice of social work;
 3      providing penalties; and making an appropriation,"
 4      establishing the Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers,
 5      Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
 6      Professional Counselors Grant Program; and imposing duties on
 7      the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    The act of July 9, 1987 (P.L.220, No.39), known
11   as the Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and
12   Professional Counselors Act, is amended by adding a section to
13   read:
14   Section 6.1.    Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Licensed
15               Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
16               Professional Counselors Grant Program.
17      (a)   Establishment of program.--The Future Licensed Clinical
18   Social Workers, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and
19   Licensed Professional Counselors Grant Program is established
20   within the agency.
 1    (b)   Duties of agency.--
 2          (1)   The agency shall, in consultation with the board,
 3    administer the program and award grants on a first-come,
 4    first-served basis to individuals who submit a completed
 5    application and satisfy the eligibility criteria under
 6    paragraph (3). No later than 180 days after the effective
 7    date of this paragraph, the agency shall develop an
 8    application form that individuals may use to apply for a
 9    grant under the program.
10          (2)   The agency shall use money appropriated for the
11    purpose of the program and may accept funding from public and
12    private sources, including the Federal Government, for the
13    payment of grants to support individuals completing required
14    hours of supervised clinical experience to become licensed
15    clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family
16    therapists or licensed professional counselors.
17          (3)   The agency shall establish eligibility criteria in
18    order for an individual to receive a grant under the program.
19    The eligibility criteria shall include, at a minimum, that an
20    individual:
21                (i)    Be a resident of this Commonwealth as defined by
22          the agency.
23                (ii)    Meet one of the following requirements:
24                       (A)   Have received a master's degree in social
25                work or social welfare and be in the process of
26                completing the required hours of supervised clinical
27                experience to become a licensed clinical social
28                worker in accordance with section 7(d)(3).
29                       (B)   Be licensed as a licensed associate marriage
30                and family therapist and be in the process of

20250HB1790PN2200                       - 2 -
 1                completing the required hours of supervised clinical
 2                experience to become a licensed marriage and family
 3                therapist in accordance with section 7(e)(3).
 4                       (C)   Be licensed as a licensed associate
 5                professional counselor and be in the process of
 6                completing the required hours of supervised clinical
 7                experience to become a licensed professional
 8                counselor in accordance with section 7(f)(3).
 9                (iii)    Be ineligible to receive a grant and has not
10            received a grant under section 1318-B of the act of March
11            10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code
12            of 1949.
13                (iv)    Enter into a contract with the agency to work
14            as a licensed clinical social worker, licensed marriage
15            and family therapist or licensed professional counselor
16            in this Commonwealth, following the completion of the
17            individual's required hours of supervised clinical
18            experience needed to become a fully licensed
19            professional, for a period of not less than two years,
20            unless the agency determines that there are extenuating
21            circumstances.
22      (c)   Grant amount.--A recipient shall receive a grant under
23   the program of $5,000.
24      (d)   Taxability.--For the purposes of computing the tax under
25   Article III of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as
26   the Tax Reform Code of 1971, the classes of income under section
27   303 of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 shall not include a payment
28   received by an individual under this section.
29      (e)   Number of grants.--An individual may not receive more
30   than one grant under the program.

20250HB1790PN2200                       - 3 -
 1    (f)   Reports.--
 2          (1)   No later than September 30, 2026, and each September
 3    30 thereafter, the agency shall issue a report detailing the
 4    operation of the program to the extent that money is
 5    available to award grants under the program.
 6          (2)   Each report under this subsection, at a minimum,
 7    must include the following information regarding grants under
 8    the program for the previous fiscal year:
 9                (i)    The number of grant applicants.
10                (ii)    The number of grants awarded.
11                (iii)    The number of grants awarded to individuals
12          seeking to become licensed clinical social workers.
13                (iv)    The number of grants awarded to individuals
14          seeking to become licensed marriage and family
15          therapists.
16                (v)    The number of grants awarded to individuals
17          seeking to become licensed professional counselors.
18          (3)   The agency shall deliver each report under this
19    subsection to:
20                (i)    The Governor.
21                (ii)    The Secretary of Education.
22                (iii)    The Secretary of the Commonwealth.
23                (iv)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
24          Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee
25          of the Senate.
26                (v)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
27          Professional Licensure Committee of the House of
28          Representatives.
29                (vi)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
30          Education Committee of the Senate.

20250HB1790PN2200                        - 4 -
 1                   (vii)   The chairperson and minority chairperson of
 2             the Education Committee of the House of Representatives.
 3             (4)   Each report under this subsection shall be posted on
 4      the publicly accessible Internet website of the agency.
 5      (g)    Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 6   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 7   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Agency."      The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
 9   Agency.
10      "Program."      The Future Licensed Clinical Social Workers,
11   Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and Licensed
12   Professional Counselors Grant Program established under
13   subsection (a).
14      "Supervised clinical experience."       Experience as a supervisee
15   in a setting that is organized to prepare an individual for the
16   practice of clinical social work, marriage and family therapy or
17   professional counseling in accordance with the requirements
18   established by the board.
19      Section 2.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB1790PN2200                       - 5 -