S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9379--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
December 19, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, BERGER, LUPARDO, STECK, TAPIA, LEVENBERG,
EACHUS, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SAYEGH, ZACCARO -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Mental Health -- recommitted to the Committee on
Mental Health in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
master of social work paid field practicum pilot program
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
7.51 to read as follows:
§ 7.51 MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PAID FIELD PRACTICUM PILOT PROGRAM.
(A) THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
PAID FIELD PRACTICUM PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE STIPENDS, WITHIN APPROPRI-
ATIONS THEREFOR, TO STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
PROGRAM AT A PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND
ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION, AND WHO ARE REQUIRED
TO PERFORM DIRECT PRACTICE SERVICES IN A MENTAL HEALTH SETTING AS PART
OF THE FIELD PRACTICUM COMPONENT OF SUCH PROGRAM.
(B) COMMENCING WITH THE FALL TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX SEMESTER, THE
PILOT PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE STIPENDS FOR THE FIELD PRACTICUM DURING THE
FIRST FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF FIELD PRACTICUM FOR STUDENTS COMPLET-
ING A REQUIRED FIELD PRACTICUM COMPONENT AS PART OF THEIR COURSE OF
STUDY IN A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM.
(1) SUCH PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS WHO:
(I) ARE ENROLLED IN A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH
SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION; AND
(II) PERFORM THEIR FIELD PRACTICUM IN NEW YORK STATE.
(2) STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PILOT PROGRAM SHALL RECEIVE A
STIPEND OF FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS, AT A RATE OF TEN DOLLARS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10427-07-6
A. 9379--A 2
PER HOUR, WHILE COMPLETING THEIR FIRST FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF A
FIELD PRACTICUM AS PART OF THEIR REQUIRED FIELD PRACTICUM COMPONENT.
SUCH STIPEND SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED MONTHLY AND SHALL AUTOMATICALLY RENEW
ANNUALLY UNTIL EITHER THE STUDENT COMPLETES FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF
A FIELD PRACTICUM OR THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER IN TWO THOUSAND
THIRTY, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SUCH FUNDING SHALL
AGREE TO WORK IN NEW YORK STATE IN A SOCIAL WORK CAPACITY FOR ONE YEAR
UPON GRADUATING.
(I) STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FUNDING OF FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS
OR MORE RELATING TO THE COMPLETION OF SUCH FIELD PRACTICUM FROM ANY
OTHER SOURCE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS,
FELLOWSHIPS, OR WORK-BASED PLACEMENTS, SHALL BE INELIGIBLE FOR A STIPEND
PURSUANT TO THIS PROGRAM.
(II) STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE FUNDING OF LESS THAN FOUR THOUSAND FIVE
HUNDRED DOLLARS RELATING TO THE COMPLETION OF SUCH FIELD PRACTICUM FROM
ANY OTHER SOURCE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS,
FELLOWSHIPS, OR WORK-BASED PLACEMENTS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A STIPEND
FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEIR EXISTING FUNDING AND FOUR THOUSAND FIVE
HUNDRED DOLLARS.
(C) THE OFFICE SHALL PROVIDE INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS ABOUT THE PILOT
PROGRAM TO SCHOOLS IN THE STATE WHO OFFER A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
PROGRAM THAT ARE REGISTERED BY THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND
ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION. SUCH SCHOOLS SHALL
POST SUCH INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS IN THE SAME MANNER AS OTHER AVAILABLE
SCHOLARSHIPS, FELLOWSHIPS, OR OTHER STIPEND PROGRAMS ON THE SCHOOL'S
OFFICIAL WEBSITE FOR THE PURPOSE OF INFORMING STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE
STUDENTS OF THE MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PAID FIELD PRACTICUM PILOT PROGRAM
ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SECTION.
(D) IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
LAWS, THE OFFICE SHALL COLLECT DATA ANNUALLY FROM ANY COLLEGE, UNIVERSI-
TY, OR MENTAL HEALTH SETTING THAT HAS STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE
PILOT PROGRAM AND MAKE SUCH DATA PUBLIC ON THEIR WEBSITE. THE DATA SHALL
BE USED TO ASSESS:
(1) THE CORRELATION OF ANY INCREASE IN APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR
ADMISSION TO A UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE MASTER IN SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM AND
THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO APPLY TO THE PILOT PROGRAM;
(2) STATEWIDE ENROLLMENT TRENDS IN MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS
RESULTING FROM STUDENTS' PARTICIPATION IN THE PILOT PROGRAM COMPARED TO
BEFORE THE PILOT PROGRAM, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
(I) DEMOGRAPHICS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
PROGRAMS, INCLUDING AGE, RACE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER IDENTITY,
SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ABILITY, GEOGRAPHIC, RELIGION, REPRESENTATION, AND
ANY OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC FACTOR THAT THE OFFICE DEEMS RELEVANT;
(II) IMPACTS ON RETENTION, ATTRITION, DROPOUT RATES, AND DEGREE
CONFERRAL RATES. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SUBPARAGRAPH:
(A) "RETENTION RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO CONTINUE ENROLL-
MENT IN THEIR PROGRAM BETWEEN SPECIFIED TERMS;
(B) "ATTRITION RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO LEAVE ENROLLMENT
BETWEEN SPECIFIED POINTS IN TIME;
(C) "DROPOUT RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO DISCONTINUE THEIR
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM WITHOUT EARNING A DEGREE; AND
(D) "DEGREE CONFERRAL RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE
THEIR MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM;
(3) THE IMPACT ON A STUDENT'S FINANCIAL STABILITY AND THEIR ABILITY TO
SATISFY THEIR COST OF LIVING NEEDS, INCLUDING A STUDENT'S DEBT LEVELS;
A. 9379--A 3
(4) THE IMPACT FIELD PRACTICUM FUNDING HAS ON WORKFORCE RETENTION FOR
PARTICIPATING MENTAL HEALTH SETTINGS ONCE THE PILOT PROGRAM WORK
REQUIREMENT IS COMPLETED;
(5) THE IMPACT ON FIELD PRACTICUM SETTINGS' ABILITY TO MEET SERVICE
DEMANDS OF THEIR CLIENTS AND COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY PROVIDE SERVICES
AND SUPPORTS; AND
(6) ANY OTHER METRIC OR AREA OF STUDY THE OFFICE DEEMS RELEVANT.
(E) THE OFFICE SHALL PRODUCE A REPORT ON THE EFFICACY OF THE PILOT
PROGRAM BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (D) OF THIS
SECTION AND SHALL SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLA-
TURE, AND BE MADE PUBLIC, NO LATER THAN DECEMBER FIRST, TWO THOUSAND
THIRTY. SUCH REPORT SHALL INCLUDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO EXPAND THE
PILOT PROGRAM TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN THE STATE,
IMPROVE REPRESENTATION IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL WORK, MITIGATE STUDENT
DEBT AND IMPROVE LABOR CONDITIONS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS UPON GRADUATION.
(F) AMOUNTS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PAID FIELD
PRACTICUM PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE SUBJECT TO ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS THERE-
FOR. SUCH APPROPRIATIONS SHALL BE ADJUSTED EACH FISCAL YEAR TO PROVIDE
FUNDING TO STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A QUALIFYING MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
PROGRAM PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION AND TO REFLECT THE VARIANCE BETWEEN
CURRENT ENROLLMENT NUMBERS FOR MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS AND
ENROLLMENT IN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
§ 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026. Effective immediately,
the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation neces-
sary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.