HB2838 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 04770 RJT 49779 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2838

Introduced 2/16/2023, by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

30 ILCS 105/5.990 new
20 ILCS 1705/71B new
20 ILCS 1705/71C new
20 ILCS 1705/71D new

Amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act. Provides that, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, the Department of Human Services shall establish and administer the Behavioral Health Scholarship Program for the purpose of incentivizing students to pursue degrees in a behavioral health discipline. Provides that the Department shall award financial assistance in the form of a scholarship to cover the cost of tuition, university fees, and books each year for a maximum of 4 years at a participating university if the applicant meets certain conditions. Sets forth rules, regulations, and other requirements for the Program. Provides that the Department shall establish the Employment Funding Grant Program to provide grants to qualified individuals who work for a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center. Defines who is a qualified individual. Sets forth rules, regulations, and other requirements for the Program. Amends the State Finance Act to create the Behavioral Health Education Program Fund. Makes other changes.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning State government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding Section 5.990 as follows:

(30 ILCS 105/5.990 new)

Sec. 5.990. The Behavioral Health Education Program Fund.

Section 10. The Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act is amended by adding Sections 71B, 71C, and 71D as follows:

(20 ILCS 1705/71B new)

Sec. 71B. Behavioral Health Education Program Fund.

(a) The Behavioral Health Education Program Fund is created in the State treasury as a special fund.

(b) The Fund is created for the purpose of funding scholarships and employment opportunities in the behavioral health field as provided in Sections 71C and 71D.

(20 ILCS 1705/71C new)

Sec. 71C. Behavioral Health Scholarship Program.

(a) Definitions. As used in this Section:

"Behavioral health discipline" means:

(1) undergraduate behavioral health disciplines that may be offered through universities or community colleges, including psychology, social work, and community health;

(2) graduate behavioral health disciplines, including clinical or counseling psychology, mental health or addiction counseling, social work, marriage and family therapy, and mental health or psychiatric nursing; and

(3) certified behavioral health disciplines, including certified recovery support specialists, certified peer recovery specialists, or certified community health workers.

"Eligible applicant" means a student who is enrolled in a program of study at a participating university and who meets all of the qualifications and requirements under this Section.

"Federally qualified health center" has the meaning given to that term in Section 1905(1)(2)(B) of the federal Social Security Act.

"Participating university" means a public university in this State that is a party to an intergovernmental agreement entered into with the Department in order to participate in the program established under this Section.

"Tuition, university fees, and books" includes the customary charge for instruction and books or course material and the additional fixed fees charged for purposes that are required generally of students who are not Program applicants under this Section for each academic year for which a Program applicant under this Section actually enrolls. "Tuition, university fees, and books" does not include room and board, transportation fees, fees payable only once, breakage fees, and other contingent deposits that are refundable in whole or in part. The Department may adopt, by rule not inconsistent with this Section, detailed provisions concerning the computation of tuition, university fees, and books.

(b) Subject to appropriation, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year, the Department shall establish and administer the Behavioral Health Scholarship Program for the purpose of incentivizing students to pursue degrees in a behavioral health discipline. The Department shall enter intergovernmental agreements with public universities in this State to participate in the Program. Under the Program, the Department shall provide financial assistance to an eligible applicant.

(c) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall award financial assistance in the form of a scholarship to an applicant to cover the cost of tuition, university fees, and books each year for a maximum of 4 years at a participating university if the applicant meets all of the following criteria:

(1) The applicant is a resident of this State or a child of a noncitizen of the United States.

(2) The applicant has committed to work in a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center for at least 6 years.

(3) The applicant maintains at least a grade point average of no less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

(d) Each participating university shall post on its website the criteria and eligibility requirements to receive financial assistance under this Section and must identify that the financial assistance is for a maximum of 4 academic years, with the total amount of financial assistance awarded to an eligible applicant not to exceed the cost of tuition, university fees, and books or a higher education student loan. This information must also be reported to the Department and the Board of Higher Education, and the Department and the Board shall post the information on the Department's and Board's respective websites.

(e) Prior to receiving financial assistance for any academic year, an eligible applicant under this Section shall be required by the participating university to sign an agreement with the Department under which the eligible applicant pledges that, within 6 months from the date of the eligible applicant's graduation from the participating university, the eligible applicant must search for, apply for, and accept full-time employment at a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center. The recipient of financial assistance must, for at least 6 years, maintain this employment.

(f) If the recipient of financial assistance under this Section fails to search for, apply for, and accept full-time employment as required under subsection (e) within 6 months following his or her graduation from a participating university, the Department shall require the recipient to begin to repay the total amount of any financial assistance received no later than 90 calendar days after the end of the 6-month period or as otherwise agreed to by the Department. The Department may include in the amount to be repaid (i) interest at a rate of 5% per year beginning 6 months following the recipient's graduation from a participating university and (ii) if applicable, reasonable attorney's fees and collection fees. The repayment amount shall be prorated according to the fraction of the employment obligation not completed if the recipient accepts full-time employment at a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center. All repayments collected under this Section shall be forwarded to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Behavioral Health Education Program Fund.

(g) A student recipient of financial assistance under this Section must immediately notify the participating university and the Department of any changes to the recipient's enrollment status or if the recipient withdraws from the academic program for which the recipient was awarded financial assistance in accordance with this Section. The Department shall require the student recipient to begin to repay the total amount of any financial assistance received no later than 90 calendar days after the end of the 6 months after the student's enrollment status changes or after the recipient withdraws, whichever is earlier, or as otherwise agreed to by the Department. The Department may include in the amount to be repaid (i) interest at a rate of 5% per year beginning 6 months after the student's enrollment status changes or after the recipient withdraws, whichever is earlier and (ii) if applicable, reasonable attorney's fees and collection fees. If the student reenrolls at the participating university in the same academic program and begins attending classes again, then no more repayments are necessary by the student if the student graduates.

(h) If a recipient's qualified employment is terminated for any reason other than for cause prior to the completion of the Program's 6-year employment requirement, the recipient shall, within 90 calendar days from the recipient's termination of full-time employment, search for, apply for, and accept new, qualified, full-time employment as a mental health or substance use clinician, counselor, therapist, case manager, community health worker, social worker, mental health or detox nurse, or similar position providing direct care services to Medicaid patients for a contracted or subcontracted provider of the Department or another State agency, otherwise the recipient must repay the awarded financial assistance to the Department as provided in subsection (f).

(i) If a recipient's qualified employment is terminated for cause prior to the completion of the Program's 6-year employment requirement, the recipient shall repay the total amount of financial assistance received under the Program no later than 90 calendar days from termination or as otherwise agreed to by the Department. The amount of repayment owed by the recipient shall be prorated based on the amount of the employment requirement that has been satisfied. The Department may include in the amount to be repaid (i) interest at a rate of 5% per year beginning at the date the recipient is terminated and (ii) if applicable, reasonable attorney's fees and collection fees.

(j) Repayments and interest payments made under this Section shall be deposited into the Behavioral Health Education Program Fund.

(k) The Department may use moneys from the Behavioral Health Education Program Fund to fund the Program as described under this Section.

(l) The Department shall adopt rules to implement this Section and may adopt rules relating to its collection activities for the repayment of any financial assistance provided under this Section.

(20 ILCS 1705/71D new)

Sec. 71D. Employment Funding Grant Program.

(a) As used in this Section, "qualified individual"means:

(1) a student pursuing a degree in behavioral health who works at a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center as an unpaid intern or volunteer;

(2) a person who is hired within the 6 months prior to applying for a grant under this Section as a paid employee or contractor on a full-time, part-time, or hourly basis; or

(3) a faculty member, staff member, postdoctoral student or fellow, individual who has received an applied-research fellowship, or graduate student at an institution of higher education who engages in applied work at a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center to improve the quality and consistency of clinical supervision, help implement research-supported or evidenced-based interventions, or improve the effectiveness or cost effectiveness of the behavioral health agency or the federally qualified health center.

(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall establish the Employment Funding Grant Program to provide grants to qualified individuals who work for community not-for-profit behavioral health agencies or federally qualified health centers.

(c) Under the Program, the Department shall provide financial assistance to qualified individuals.

(d) A person who is a qualified individual under paragraph (1) of subsection (a) is eligible to receive a grant to compensate the individual for work as a unpaid intern or volunteer. The grant amount shall provide an equivalent amount of compensation to the individual similar to the expected market rate of a person performing similar duties as the individual in either a community profit or not-for-profit behavioral health agency or a federally qualified health center.

(e) A person who is a qualified individual under paragraph (2) of subsection (a) is eligible to receive a grant as a bonus for the individual for working at a community not-for-profit behavioral health agency or federally qualified health center. The grant may be renewed every 6 months and renewed up to 4 times per qualified individual based on meeting performance standards set by the Department. The grant amount shall be determined by the Department.

(f) A person who is a qualified individual under paragraph (3) of subsection (a) is eligible to receive a grant covering the time that the individual does applied work at the behavioral health agency or the federally qualified health center. The grant amount shall provide an equivalent amount of compensation to the individual similar to the expected market rate of a person performing similar duties to the individual in a community profit behavioral health agency, not-for-profit behavioral health agency, or federally qualified health center. If a qualified individual under paragraph (3) of subsection (a) is a graduate student, then the graduate student shall be eligible for a grant to cover tuition costs. The grant may be renewed every 6 months and renewed up to 4 times per qualified individual.

(g) The Department may use moneys from the Behavioral Health Education Program Fund to fund the Program as described under this Section.

(h) The Department shall adopt rules to implement this Section.