Senate Bill S9124

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9124

SPONSOR: SUTTON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "building
retention and internship-to-degree graduate employment (BRIDGE) act"

 
PURPOSE:

This bill authorizes the State Education Department (SED) to issue
limited work permits to graduate students enrolled in a registered
master of social work (MSW) program who have completed a substantial
portion of their required fieldwork, allowing such students to continue
providing services under appropriate supervision following graduation.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill provides the title.

Section two of the bill amends subdivision 2 of section 7705 of the
education law by creating a new subdivision authorizing SED to issue a
              

limited work permit to an applicant who has completed at least 450 hours
of the fieldwork component of a registered MSW program. The limited
permit would be issued upon application to the department and require
certification by a licensed and qualified supervisor who agrees to over-
see the permittee. The permit would become effective immediately upon
the applicant's graduation from the MSW program and would authorize
practice only under supervision and in accordance with the commission-
er's regulations. Limited permits issued under this subdivision would be
valid for the same duration as limited permits issued under existing
law.

Section three of the bill provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York continues to face a significant shortage of licensed mental
health professionals, including social workers, at a time when demand
for services is increasing across clinical, school-based, and community
settings. Master of social work graduates often experience delays
between graduation and full licensure eligibility that interrupt conti-
nuity of care, limit workforce participation, and exacerbate provider
shortages. This bill addresses that gap by allowing MSW students who
have already completed a substantial portion of their required field
education to obtain a limited work permit upon graduation, enabling them
to continue practicing under supervision while they progress toward full
licensure. Importantly, the bill preserves patient safety and profes-
sional standards by requiring supervision by a licensed and qualified
practitioner and by limiting practice to settings and conditions estab-
lished by regulation. By aligning the treatment of graduate social work
students with existing limited permit structures under the education
law, this legislation promotes workforce stability, supports new gradu-
ates, and helps ensure continued access to mental health services for
New Yorkers without diminishing professional oversight or quality of
care.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON THE STATE:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it
shall have become a law.