Maryland HB 1061: Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program - Private Company Employees With a Master's Degree in Social Work - Eligible Employment

Bill Text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. 
        [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. 
           *hb1061*   
  
HOUSE BILL 1061 
F2   3lr2662 
      
By: Delegate Kaiser 
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2023 
Assigned to: Appropriations 
 
A BILL ENTITLED 
 
AN ACT concerning 1 
 
Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program – Private Company 2 
Employees With a Master’s Degree in Social Work – Eligible Employment 3 
 
FOR  the  purpose  of including  as eligible  employment  for  the Janet  L.  Hoffman  Loan 4 
Assistance Repayment Program employment with a  private  company  in  a  public 5 
facing  role of individuals who have earned a master’s degree in social work; and 6 
generally relating to the Janet L. Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program. 7 
 
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8 
 Article – Education 9 
Section 18–1502 10 
 Annotated Code of Maryland 11 
 (2022 Replacement Volume) 12 
 
 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 13 
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 14 
 
Article – Education 15 
 
18–1502. 16 
 
 (a) There is  a  program  of  loan  assistance  repayment  known  as  the  Janet  L. 17 
Hoffman Loan Assistance Repayment Program in the State. 18 
 
 (b) The  Office  of  Student  Financial  Assistance  shall  assist  in  the  repayment  of 19 
the amount of any higher education loan owed by an individual who: 20 
 
  (1) (i) Receives a graduate, professional, or undergraduate degree from: 21 
 
    1. A college or university in the State of Maryland; or 22 
 

2 HOUSE BILL 1061  
 
 
    2. A school of law; or 1 
 
   (ii) Receives   a   Resident   Teacher   Certificate   (RTC)   from   the 2 
Department after completing an alternative teaching preparation program approved by the 3 
State Superintendent; 4 
 
  (2) Obtains  eligible  employment, INCLUDING  EMPLOYMENT WITH A 5 
PRIVATE COMPANY IN A PUBLIC FACING ROLE, IF THE EMPLOYEE HAS A MASTER’S 6 
DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK; 7 
 
  (3) Receives an income that is less than the maximum eligible total income 8 
levels established by the Office, including any additional sources of income; and 9 
 
  (4) Satisfies any other criteria established by the Office. 10 
 
 (c) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the Office shall assist 11 
in  the  repayment  of  the  amount  of  any  higher  education  loan  owed  by  a  public  school 12 
teacher in the State who: 13 
 
  (1) Has taught in Maryland for at least 2 years: 14 
 
   (i) In science, technology, engineering, fine arts, or math subjects; 15 
 
   (ii) In  a  school  in  which  at  least  the  following  percentages  of  the 16 
students are enrolled in the free and reduced price lunch program in the State: 17 
 
    1. 75% through June 30, 2025; and 18 
 
    2. 55% beginning July 1, 2025; or 19 
 
   (iii) In a school that: 20 
 
    1. Had Title I status during the 2018–2019 school year; 21 
 
    2. Lost Title I status after the 2018–2019 school year; and 22 
 
    3. Participates    in    the    United    States    Department    of 23 
Agriculture Community Eligibility Provision; and 24 
 
  (2) Has  received  the  highest  performance  evaluation  rating  for  the  most 25 
recent year available in the county in which the teacher taught. 26 
 
 (d) (1) A grant awarded under subsection (c) of this section shall be known as 27 
the Nancy Grasmick Teacher Award. 28 
 
  (2) A recipient of a Nancy Grasmick Teacher Award shall be known as a 29 
Nancy Grasmick Teacher Scholar. 30 

 HOUSE BILL 1061 3 
 
 
 
 (e) An  applicant  for  assistance  in  the  repayment  of  a  commercial  loan  shall 1 
demonstrate  to  the  Office  that  the  commercial  loan  was used  for  tuition,  educational 2 
expenses, or living expenses for graduate or undergraduate study. 3 
 
 (f) Assistance  in  the  repayment  of  a  loan  from  an  entity  set  forth  in  §  4 
18–1501(c)(2) of this subtitle shall require the approval of the Office. 5 
 
 (g) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, the Office shall assist 6 
in the repayment of the amount of any higher education loan owed by a licensed clinical 7 
alcohol and drug counselor, a licensed clinical marriage and family therapy counselor, or a 8 
licensed clinical professional counselor whose practice is located in a high–need geographic 9 
area of the State as determined by the Maryland Department of Health. 10 
 
 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11 
1, 2023. 12