NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7894

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 13, 2025	referred to mental health

co-Sponsors

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Mental Health
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Add §7.49, Ment Hyg L

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a master of social work paid field work pilot program to provide a stipend to students who are enrolled in a master of social work program for the first 450 hours of field work completed towards such masters' degree; requires the office of mental health to complete a report making 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.

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7894

SPONSOR: SALAZAR
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to establishing a
master of social work paid field work pilot program

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This legislation creates a four-year pilot program to provide financial
stipends equal to $4,500 to Master of Social Work (MSW) student interns
attending Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)-accredited schools in
New York State for the first 450 hours of their internship or practicum.
The program aims to address the financial barriers faced by MSW students
during mandatory unpaid internship/practicum hours, with the goals of
increasing enrollment and retention, improving access to the profession,
diversifying the field, and reducing student debt.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section 7.49 to Mental Hygiene Law with six subdi-

visions.

Subdivision (a) establishes that the Office of Mental Health shall
create and administer a Master of Social Work fieldwork pilot program to
provide stipends for students completing an internship or practicum at a
Council of Social Work-accredited school.

Subdivision (b) lays out the funding amount, $4,500 stipend for the
first 450 hours of a student's internship, as well as eligibility crite-
ria. Students must complete their internship in New York, and must agree
to work in New York in a social work capacity for at least one year
after graduation. For students already receiving funding for
internship/practicum hours exceeding $4,500 through grants, scholar-
ships, fellowships, or work-based placements will not be eligible for
the stipend. Students receiving less than $4,500 in such funding may
qualify for the difference between their existing funding and the
stipend amount.

Subdivision (c) requires the Office of Mental Health to provide informa-
tion about the program to eligible schools and requires the schools to
run a public awareness campaign about the stipend.

Subdivision (d) instructs the Office of Mental Health to collect data on
the program, including how the program impacted Master of Social Work
enrollment trends and demographic shifts; retention, attrition, degree
conferral, and dropout rates; student debt and post-graduate workforce
retention; and internship sites, student health, local economies, and
social work wages. They must also conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the
program and provide any policy recommendations to expand and improve the
program.

Subdivision (e) requires that the data collected be compiled into a
report submitted to the Governor, Legislature, and the public.

Subdivision (f) appropriates money for the program, which shall be
adjusted each year to provide funding to students enrolled in a qualify-
ing Master of Social Work programs.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

To earn a Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), students are required to
complete a minimum of 900 hours of internship, which are typically
unpaid. Unpaid internships create a significant financial barrier,
resulting in a social worker shortage, a lack of diversity in the field,
and increased student debt.

Social workers are essential in addressing New York's most pressing
challenges, such as the mental health crisis, the opioid epidemic, and
homelessness. However, New York faces a critical shortage of social
workers, limiting the state's ability to effectively address these
crises and provide necessary services. For example, 48 of New York's 62
counties have moderate to severe mental health service shortages', and
95% of the New York's school districts do not meet the recommended ratio
of one school social worker for every 250 students.(2)

These shortages do not affect everyone equally - they have grave conse-
quences, especially for the state's most vulnerable populations.  Fund-
ing social work interns would be an investment in the health of the
state by creating a pipeline of new social workers to help build the
workforce to meet the state's most urgent needs.

For MSW students themselves, the stipend of $4,500 for the first 450
hours of their internship/practicum will provide much-needed financial
relief, enabling them to focus on their studies and internships. MSW
student debt has been steadily rising over the past decade. This debt is
closely tied to race and gender, with students of color and women accu-
mulating significantly higher levels of debt than white and/or male
Students.(3)

States across the country including Michigan, Massachusetts and others,
are introducing or implementing programs to fund social work interns as
a means of growing and diversifying their workforce. It is time for New
York to follow suit.

 
RACIAL JUSTICE AND GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:

Funding social work interns isn't just about increasing the number of
social workers; it is also essential to recruit social workers that
reflect the communities they serve. Unpaid internships disproportionate-
ly impact students with the strongest demonstrated financial need,
thereby contributing to a lack of representation in the field. The
majority of new social workers are white,(4) while most of the clients
they serve are people of color.

This demographic mismatch is detrimental to the communities that rely on
the services social workers provide. Having social workers that accu-
rately understand the struggles the community they are serving face
because they themselves have faced the same struggle will only improve
their ability to serve their clients well. Funding social work intern-
ships reduces the barrier of entry for students of color and working-
class students, helping to ensure that the field better represents the
communities served. Furthermore, since over 80% of social work students
identify as female,5 paying interns would represent a historic invest-
ment in the fight for gender and pay equity.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Program costs will be adjusted based on MSW enrollment trends, with a
projected initial annual cost of $12 million per year.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025 and be implemented for
internships beginning in the Fall 2025 academic semester.
1. HPSA Find. (n.d.). HRSA Data Warehouse.
https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/hpsa-find
2. Miller, A., Kim, T., & Shulman, K. (2022, April). Oversight of Mental
Health Education in Schools. New York State Comptroller.
https://www.osc.ny.gov/files/state-agencies/audits/pdf/sga-2022-
20s63.pdf
3. Council on Social Work Education. (2023). 2022-2023 statistics on
social work education in the United States.
https://www.cswe.org/Research-Statistics/Research-BriefsandPublications/
2022-2023-Annua3-Statistics-on-Social-Work-Education
4. Council on Social Work Education. (2023). 2022-2023 statistics on
social work education in the United States.
https://www.cswe.org/Research-Statistics/Research-BriefsandPublications/
2022-2023-Annual-Statistics-on-Social-Work-Education
5. Council on Social Work Education. (2023). 2022-2023 statistics on
social work education in the United States.
https://www.cswe.org/Research-Statistics/Research-BriefsandPublications/
2022-2023-Annual-Statistics-on-Social-Work-Education

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7894
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation  to  establishing  a
   master of social work paid field work 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
 7.49 to read as follows:
 § 7.49 MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PAID FIELD WORK PILOT PROGRAM.
   (A)  THE OFFICE SHALL ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK
 PAID FIELD WORK PILOT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE STIPENDS, WITHIN APPROPRIATIONS
 THEREFOR, TO STUDENTS WHO ARE  ENROLLED  IN  A  MASTER  OF  SOCIAL  WORK
 PROGRAM  OF STUDY AT A PROGRAM REGISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
 AND ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION, OR DETERMINED BY
 THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO BE THE SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENT OF  SUCH  A
 PROGRAM,  AND  WHO ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM SERVICES AS PART OF THE FIELD
 WORK COMPONENT OF SUCH PROGRAM.
   (B) COMMENCING WITH THE FALL TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY-FIVE  SEMESTER,  THE
 PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL  PROVIDE  STIPENDS FOR FIELD WORK DURING THE FIRST
 FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY  HOURS  OF  FIELD  WORK  FOR  STUDENTS  COMPLETING  A
 REQUIRED  FIELD  WORK  COMPONENT  AS  PART OF THEIR COURSE OF STUDY IN A
 MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM OF STUDY.
   (1) SUCH PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS WHO:
   (I) ARE ENROLLED IN A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK  PROGRAM  OF  STUDY  AT  A
 PROGRAM  REGISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND ACCREDITED BY THE
 COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION, OR DETERMINED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF
 EDUCATION  TO  BE  THE SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENT OF SUCH A PROGRAM, AND WHO
 ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM SERVICES AS PART OF THE FIELD WORK COMPONENT  OF
 SUCH PROGRAM; AND
   (II) PERFORM THEIR FIELD WORK IN NEW YORK STATE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10427-02-5
 S. 7894                             2

 
   (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
 PER HOUR, WHILE COMPLETING THEIR FIRST FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF FIELD
 WORK  AS PART OF THEIR REQUIRED FIELD WORK COMPONENT. SUCH STIPEND SHALL
 BE  DISTRIBUTED  MONTHLY  AND  SHALL  AUTOMATICALLY RENEW ANNUALLY UNTIL
 EITHER THE STUDENT COMPLETES FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY HOURS OF FIELD  WORK  OR
 THE  END  OF  THE SPRING SEMESTER IN TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-NINE, 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 WORK FROM ANY OTHER
 SOURCE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  GRANTS,  SCHOLARSHIPS,  FELLOW-
 SHIPS,  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 WORK 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 OF STUDY THAT ARE REGISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION  AND
 ACCREDITED BY THE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION, OR DETERMINED BY THE
 DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION  TO  BE  THE  SUBSTANTIAL EQUIVALENT OF SUCH A
 PROGRAM. SUCH SCHOOLS SHALL CONDUCT A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN  INFORM-
 ING  STUDENTS  AND  PROSPECTIVE  STUDENTS  THAT THEIR FIRST FOUR HUNDRED
 FIFTY HOURS OF REQUIRED FIELD WORK IN A MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM OF
 STUDY WILL BE COMPENSATED.   MONIES FOR THE  PUBLIC  AWARENESS  CAMPAIGN
 SHALL  NOT BE DEDUCTED FROM MONIES DESIGNATED FOR STUDENT INTERNS PURSU-
 ANT TO THIS SECTION.
   (D) THE OFFICE SHALL COLLECT DATA ANNUALLY AND MAKE SUCH  DATA  PUBLIC
 ON THEIR WEBSITE TO ASSESS:
   (1)  CHANGES  IN  THE NUMBER OF LICENSED MASTER SOCIAL WORKER APPLICA-
 TIONS DURING THE PILOT PROGRAM COMPARED TO BEFORE THE PILOT PROGRAM;
   (2) STATEWIDE ENROLLMENT TRENDS IN  MASTER  OF  SOCIAL  WORK  PROGRAMS
 DURING THE PILOT PROGRAM COMPARED TO BEFORE THE PILOT PROGRAM;
   (3)  CHANGES  IN DEMOGRAPHICS OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN MASTER OF SOCIAL
 WORK PROGRAMS, INCLUDING AGE, RACE, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, GENDER IDENTI-
 TY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, ABILITY, GEOGRAPHIC,  RELIGION,  REPRESENTATION,
 AND ANY OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC FACTOR THAT THE OFFICE DEEMS RELEVANT;
   (4)  CHANGES  IN MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAMS' RETENTION, ATTRITION,
 DROPOUT RATES, AND DEGREE CONFERRAL RATES.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS
 PARAGRAPH:
   (I) "RETENTION RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO CONTINUE ENROLL-
 MENT IN THEIR PROGRAM BETWEEN SPECIFIED TERMS;
   (II)  "ATTRITION  RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO LEAVE ENROLL-
 MENT BETWEEN SPECIFIED POINTS IN TIME;
   (III) "DROPOUT RATE" MEANS THE  NUMBER  OF  STUDENTS  WHO  DISCONTINUE
 THEIR MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM WITHOUT EARNING A DEGREE; AND
   (IV) "DEGREE CONFERRAL RATE" MEANS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO COMPLETE
 THEIR MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM;
   (5) THE IMPACT ON MATRICULATION RATES AND ENROLLMENT STATUS;
   (6)  THE  IMPACT  ON  STUDENT  DEBT  BY EVALUATING HOW STIPEND FUNDING
 AFFECTED MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK STUDENT DEBT LEVELS;
 S. 7894                             3
 
   (7) THE IMPACT FIELD WORK FUNDING HAS ON SOCIAL WORK WAGES  AND  WORK-
 FORCE RETENTION AFTER GRADUATION;
   (8)  THE  IMPACT ON FIELD WORK SITES BY ASSESSING HOW FUNDING STIPENDS
 INFLUENCED FIELD WORK SITES' ABILITY TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO CLIENTS  AND
 COMMUNITIES;
   (9)  IMPACTS  ON  STUDENTS'  MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHYSICAL AND FINANCIAL
 HEALTH;
   (10) COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF FIELD WORK FUNDING RELATIVE TO  SERVICES
 PROVIDED AND PREVENTATIVE MEASURES IMPLEMENTED, WHICH SHALL INCLUDE, BUT
 IS  NOT  LIMITED TO, THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF SERVICES PERFORMED BY INTERNS
 (E.G., BASED ON MARKET RATES FOR SIMILAR SERVICES);
   (11) THE IMPACT FIELD WORK FUNDING HAS ON LOCAL ECONOMIES AND ECONOMIC
 DEVELOPMENT; AND
   (12) ANY OTHER METRIC OR AREA OF STUDY THE OFFICE DEEMS RELEVANT.
   (E) THE OFFICE SHALL CONDUCT A STUDY AND PRODUCE A REPORT ON THE EFFI-
 CACY OF THE PILOT PROGRAM BASED ON THE DATA COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SUBDI-
 VISION (D) OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL SUBMIT SUCH REPORT TO THE  GOVERNOR
 AND  THE  LEGISLATURE, AND BE MADE PUBLIC, NO LATER THAN DECEMBER FIRST,
 TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-NINE. 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, MITI-
 GATE STUDENT DEBT AND IMPROVE LABOR CONDITIONS FOR SOCIAL  WORKERS  UPON
 GRADUATION.
   (F)  AMOUNTS  MADE  AVAILABLE  TO THE MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PAID FIELD
 WORK PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE SUBJECT TO ANNUAL  APPROPRIATIONS  THEREFOR.
 SUCH  APPROPRIATIONS SHALL BE ADJUSTED EACH FISCAL YEAR TO PROVIDE FUND-
 ING 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, 2025. 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.

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Senate Bill S7894

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Julia Salazar

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Nathalia Fernandez

Robert Jackson

Jessica Ramos

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7894 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments