New York S 7894: Establishes a master of social work paid field practicum pilot program

Bill Text

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S07894 Summary:

BILL NOS07894A

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SAME ASSAME AS A09379-B

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SPONSORSALAZAR

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COSPNSRCLEARE, FERNANDEZ, GONZALEZ, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, MYRIE, RAMOS, SEPULVEDA, WEBB, ZELLNER

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §7.51, Ment Hyg L

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Establishes a master of social work paid field practicum 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 practicum 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.

Go to top S07894 Actions:

BILL NOS07894A

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05/13/2025REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

01/07/2026REFERRED TO MENTAL HEALTH

04/27/2026AMEND (T) AND RECOMMIT TO MENTAL HEALTH

04/27/2026PRINT NUMBER 7894A

Go to topS07894 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS07894 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS07894 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 7894--A

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 May 13, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. SALAZAR, CLEARE, FERNANDEZ, GONZALEZ, JACKSON,
 MYRIE, RAMOS, SEPULVEDA, WEBB, ZELLNER -- read twice and ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental
 Health -- recommitted to the Committee on Mental Health in accordance
 with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- 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:

 1 Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section
 2 7.51 to read as follows:
 3 § 7.51 Master of social work paid field practicum pilot program.
 4 (a) The office shall establish and administer a master of social work
 5 paid field practicum pilot program to provide stipends, within appropri-
 6 ations therefor, to students who are enrolled in a master of social work
 7 program at a program registered by the state education department and
 8 accredited by the Council of Social Work Education, and who are required
 9 to perform services as part of the field practicum component of such
 10 program.
 11 (b) Commencing with the fall two thousand twenty-six semester, the
 12 pilot program shall provide stipends for the field practicum during the
 13 first four hundred fifty hours of field practicum for students complet-
 14 ing a required field practicum component as part of their course of
 15 study in a master of social work program.
 16 (1) Such pilot program shall be available to all students who:
 17 (i) are enrolled in a master of social work program in accordance with
 18 subdivision (a) of this section; and
 19 (ii) perform their field practicum in New York state.
 20 (2) Students who are eligible for this pilot program shall receive a
 21 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.
 LBD10427-10-6

 S. 7894--A 2

 1 per hour, while completing their first four hundred fifty hours of a
 2 field practicum as part of their required field practicum component.
 3 Such stipend shall be distributed monthly and shall automatically renew
 4 annually until either the student completes four hundred fifty hours of
 5 a field practicum or the end of the spring semester in two thousand
 6 thirty, whichever occurs first. Students who receive such funding shall
 7 agree to work in New York state in a social work capacity for one year
 8 upon graduating.
 9 (i) Students who receive funding of four thousand five hundred dollars
 10 or more relating to the completion of such field practicum from any
 11 other source, including, but not limited to, grants, scholarships,
 12 fellowships, or work-based placements, shall be ineligible for a stipend
 13 pursuant to this program.
 14 (ii) Students