I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1532 

To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human 

Services on policy issues related to recruitment, retention, research, and 

reinvestment in the profession of social work, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 5, 2019 

Ms. LEE of California (for herself, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr. YARMUTH, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. 

CLARKE of New York, Mr. EVANS, Mr. SOTO, and Mr. LEWIS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to 

provide independent counsel to Congress and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on policy issues 

related to recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of social work, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

3 ‘‘Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr., Social 

4 Work Reinvestment Act’’. 

5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 

6 this Act is as follows: 

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 

Sec. 2. Findings. 

Sec. 3. Definitions. 

TITLE I—SOCIAL WORK REINVESTMENT COMMISSION 

Sec. 101. Establishment. 

Sec. 102. Members. 

Sec. 103. Duties. 

Sec. 104. Powers. 

Sec. 105. Compensation. 

Sec. 106. Termination. 

TITLE II—REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT 

SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION 

Sec. 201. Workplace improvement grants. 

Sec. 202. Research grants. 

Sec. 203. Education and training grants. 

Sec. 204. Community-based programs of excellence grants. 

Sec. 205. National coordinating center. 

Sec. 206. Multimedia outreach campaign. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 

9 (1) Although the United States poverty rate has 

10 had a slight decline to 12.3 percent in 2017, poverty 

11 remains a social issue for our Nation, especially for 

12 communities of color and women and children who 

13 continue to experience higher than average poverty 

14 rates. Homeowners and those seeking to become 

15 homeowners continue to face challenges with high 

16 mortgage delinquency, mortgage loan interest rates, 


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1 and threats of foreclosure. Joblessness and economic 

2 insecurity contribute to the incidence of mental ill3 ness, family violence, suicide, substance abuse, 

4 crime, and diminished capacity for health, family, 

5 and community functioning. 

6 (2) Social workers form society’s social safety 

7 net. Social workers provide assistance, guidance, and 

8 resources to individuals, families, and communities 

9 in poverty. Additionally, they understand the dev10 astating costs and consequences of poverty and un11 employment on our society and provide direct serv12 ices in order to prevent and abate economic inequal13 ity. 

14 (3) The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 

15 that the social work profession will grow at an 

16 above-average rate through the year 2026, with a 

17 16-percent growth rate overall and a 20-percent pro18 jected growth rate for health care social workers. 

19 This increase is faster than the 7-percent average 

20 for all occupations, demonstrating a substantial need 

21 for social workers in our Nation. 

22 (4) Social work salaries, on average, are among 

23 the lowest for all occupations in the United States 

24 and for those with master’s level education in par25 ticular. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 


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1 the median annual income for social workers in 

2 2017 was $47,980. 

3 (5) The report titled ‘‘2017 Statistics on Social 

4 Work Education in the United States’’ by the Coun5 cil on Social Work Education stated that 77.7 per6 cent of students graduating from Master of Social 

7 Work programs incurred debt to earn their graduate 

8 degree. The average debt for a Master of Social 

9 Work degree was approximately $44,296. 

10 (6) Social workers often deal with the most vul11 nerable clients in emotional or traumatic situations, 

12 and face possible danger as a result. The National 

13 Association of Social Workers Center for Workforce 

14 Studies found that 44 percent of survey respondents 

15 faced personal safety issues on the job. In 2015, the 

16 Occupational Safety and Health Administration re17 ported that 75 percent of workplace assaults that oc18 curred between 2011 and 2013 took place in the 

19 health care and social services industries. 

20 (7) The Alzheimer’s Association of America 

21 states that 5.7 million Americans, or 1 in every 10 

22 individuals over the age of 65, have Alzheimer’s dis23 ease. Social workers in gerontology settings work 

24 with older adults, including those with dementia, to 

25 support their physiological, psychological, and social 


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1 needs through mental health therapy, caregiver and 

2 family counseling, health education, program coordi3 nation, and case management. 

4 (8) The Children’s Defense Fund states that 

5 every 47 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or 

neglected and every 51 6 ⁄2 hours a child is killed from 

7 abuse or neglect. The Administration for Children 

8 and Families of the Department of Health and 

9 Human Services states that 437,500 children were 

10 in the United States foster care system at the end 

11 of fiscal year 2016. Most children placed in foster 

12 care are placed due to parental abuse or neglect. Re13 search shows that professional social workers em14 ployed in child welfare agencies are more likely to 

15 find permanent homes for children who have been in 

16 foster care for 2 or more years. Unfortunately, less 

17 than 40 percent of child welfare workers are profes18 sional social workers. 

19 (9) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

20 Services Administration of the Department of 

21 Health and Human Services estimates that 46.6 mil22 lion individuals (nearly 1 in 5 or 18.9 percent) in 

23 the United States age 18 or older experienced a 

24 diagnosable mental illness in 2017. Additionally, at 

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1 tween the ages of 12 and 17 experienced at least one 

2 major depressive episode in the past year. Social 

3 workers provide the majority of mental health coun4 seling services in the United States, and are often 

5 the only providers of such services in rural areas. 

6 (10) Social workers working with veterans and 

7 their families provide services that include case man8 agement, crisis interventions, mental health inter9 ventions, housing and financial counseling, high-risk 

10 screening, and advocacy. The Department of Vet11 erans Affairs, which is the largest employer of social 

12 workers in the Nation, employs over 12,000 social 

13 workers who are available to serve an estimated 20.4 

14 million veterans in the United States. A once-declin15 ing veteran population is now surging and is in dire 

16 need of mental health treatment to address issues 

17 such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, 

18 drug and alcohol addiction, and suicidal tendencies. 

19 (11) The American Cancer Society estimated 

20 that there would be 1,735,350 new cases of cancer 

21 and 609,640 cancer deaths, or 1,670 deaths a day, 

22 in 2018 alone. The Centers for Disease Control and 

23 Prevention report that there are over 1,100,000 peo24 ple living with HIV in the United States, with ap25 proximately 38,500 new cases diagnosed in 2015. In 


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1 2017, 1,430,000 to 1,700,000 people received care 

2 from the Nation’s hospice providers. Health care 

3 and medical social workers practice in areas related 

4 to all of these circumstances and provide outreach 

5 for prevention and health promotion, help individ6 uals and their families adapt to their health condi7 tions, connect patients and family caregivers with 

8 community services and supports, provide grief 

9 counseling, and act as a liaison between individuals 

10 and their medical team, helping patients make in11 formed decisions about their care. 

12 (12) The Children’s Defense Fund notes that 

13 every 2 seconds a public school student is suspended 

14 and that every 9 seconds a high school student drops 

15 out. The National Center for Education Statistics 

16 states that in 2016 the national dropout rate for 

17 high school students was 6.1 percent. Some vulner18 able communities have dropout rates of 50 percent 

19 or higher. Social workers in school settings help stu20 dents avoid dropping out through early identifica21 tion, prevention, intervention, counseling, and sup22 port services. 

23 (13) According to the Department of Justice, 

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1 ers employed in the correctional system address dis2 proportionate minority incarceration rates, provide 

3 treatment for mental health problems and drug and 

4 alcohol addiction, and work within, as well as out5 side of, prisons to reduce recidivism and increase 

6 positive community reentry. 

7 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

8 In this Act: 

9 (1) CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER.—The term 

10 ‘‘clinical social worker’’ has the meaning given the 

11 term in section 1861(hh)(1) of the Social Security 

12 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(hh)(1)). 

13 (2) COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAM.—The term 

14 ‘‘community-based program’’ means an agency, or15 ganization, or other entity carrying out a program 

16 that provides direct social work services or commu17 nity development services at a neighborhood, local, 

18 or regional level, to address human service, health 

19 care, or psychosocial needs. 

20 (3) HIGH NEED AND HIGH DEMAND POPU21 LATION.—The term ‘‘high need and high demand 

22 population’’ means a group of individuals that lacks 

23 sufficient resources and, as a result, has a greater 

24 probability of being harmed by specific social, envi25 ronmental, or health problems than the population 


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1 as a whole. Such term includes a group of individ2 uals residing in an area designated by the Health 

3 Resources and Services Administration as a ‘‘health 

4 professional shortage area’’ due to a shortage of pri5 mary medical care, dental, or mental health pro6 viders. 

7 (4) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNI8 VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically black college or 

9 university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 

10 institution’’ in section 322(2) of the Higher Edu11 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061(2)). 

12 (5) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The 

13 term ‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means an insti14 tution of higher education that serves a large per15 centage of minority students, as determined by the 

16 Secretary of Education, including the following: 

17 (A) Alaska Native-serving institutions, as 

18 defined in section 317(b)(2) of the Higher Edu19 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(2)). 

20 (B) Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, 

21 as defined in section 317(b)(4) of such Act (20 

22 U.S.C. 1059d(b)(4)). 

23 (C) Asian American and Native American 

24 Pacific Islander-serving institutions, as defined 


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1 in section 320(b)(2) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 

2 1059g(b)(2)). 

3 (D) Hispanic-serving institutions, as de4 fined in section 502(a)(5) of such Act (20 

5 U.S.C. 1101(a)(5)). 

6 (E) Tribal Colleges and Universities, as de7 fined in section 316(b)(3) of such Act (20 

8 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3)). 

9 (F) Native American-serving, nontribal in10 stitutions, as defined in section 319(b)(2) of 

11 such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059f(b)(2)). 

12 (G) Predominantly Black Institutions, as 

13 defined in section 318(b)(6) of such Act (20 

14 U.S.C. 1059e(b)(6)). 

15 (H) Historically black colleges or univer16 sities. 

17 (6) PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE.—The term 

18 ‘‘program of excellence’’ means a program of distinc19 tion in a field related to human service, hosted by 

20 a public or private agency, that has received State 

21 or national recognition or another clearly defined in22 dicator appropriate to the mission of the program, 

23 has clearly defined and measurable goals and objec24 tives, regularly assesses outcomes, and can provide 


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1 evidence of a strong assessment plan that utilizes as2 sessment data to improve the program. 

3 (7) RELATED PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHER.— 

4 The term ‘‘related professional researcher’’ means a 

5 doctoral level researcher or any other individual who 

6 is professionally engaged in research in a social, po7 litical, economic, health, or mental health field other 

8 than social work for an entity such as a university, 

9 government entity, research institute, or community 

10 agency. 

11 (8) SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK.—The term 

12 ‘‘school of social work’’ means a school that is ac13 credited by the Council on Social Work Education 

14 (the sole accrediting agency recognized by the Coun15 cil for Higher Education Accreditation for social 

16 work education in the United States) within an in17 stitution of higher education, that offers bacca18 laureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees in social 

19 work. 

20 (9) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

22 (10) SOCIAL WORK.—The term ‘‘social work’’ 

23 means— 

24 (A) the professional activity of helping in25 dividuals, groups, or communities enhance or 


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1 restore capacity for social and psychosocial 

2 functioning and creating societal conditions fa3 vorable to such enhancement or restoration; 

4 (B) the professional application of values, 

5 principles, and techniques related to the activity 

6 described in subparagraph (A), including— 

7 (i) diagnosing mental and emotional 

8 disorders and treating individuals, families, 

9 or groups for such disorders; 

10 (ii) helping communities or groups 

11 provide or improve social and health serv12 ices and participating in relevant legislative 

13 processes to achieve such goals; and 

14 (iii) helping individuals, families, or 

15 groups obtain tangible services, including 

16 personal, protective, informational, advi17 sory, community, or maintenance services 

18 in order to improve the overall well-being 

19 of individuals; and 

20 (C) a professional activity that requires 

21 knowledge of human development, the behavior 

22 of social, economic, and cultural institutions, 

23 and the interaction between such development 

24 and behavior. 


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1 (11) SOCIAL WORK RESEARCHER.—The term 

2 ‘‘social work researcher’’ means a faculty member of 

3 an institution of higher education, doctoral level re4 searcher, or any other individual who is profes5 sionally engaged in the study of social work for an 

6 entity such as a university, government entity, re7 search institute, or community agency at an indi8 vidual, family, group, community, organizational, or 

9 policy level, focusing across the human life span on 

10 prevention, treatment, and aftercare of, intervention 

11 in, and rehabilitation from, acute and chronic social 

12 and psychosocial conditions, including the study of 

13 the effect of policies on social work practice. 

14 (12) SOCIAL WORKER.—The term ‘‘social work15 er’’ means an individual with a baccalaureate, mas16 ter’s, or doctoral degree in social work from an insti17 tution of higher education who uses knowledge and 

18 skills to provide social work services for individuals, 

19 families, groups, communities, organizations, or soci20 ety in general. 

21 TITLE I—SOCIAL WORK 

22 REINVESTMENT COMMISSION 

23 SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT. 

24 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact25 ment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Social 


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1 Work Reinvestment Commission (referred to in this title 

2 as the ‘‘Commission’’) to provide independent counsel to 

3 Congress and the Secretary on policy issues related to re4 cruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the 

5 profession of social work. 

6 SEC. 102. MEMBERS. 

7 (a) APPOINTMENT BY SECRETARY.—Not later than 

8 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 

9 Secretary shall appoint members to the Commission. The 

10 members shall include— 

11 (1) 2 deans of schools of social work; 

12 (2) 1 social work researcher; 

13 (3) 1 related professional researcher; 

14 (4) 1 Governor of a State; 

15 (5) 2 leaders of national social work organiza16 tions; 

17 (6) 1 senior State government employee who is 

18 not an elected official who has a baccalaureate, mas19 ter’s, or doctoral degree in social work; 

20 (7) 1 related senior State government employee 

21 who is not an elected official; 

22 (8) 2 directors of community-based organiza23 tions or nonprofit organizations that provide human 

24 services; 

25 (9) 1 labor economist; 


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1 (10) 1 social work consumer; and 

2 (11) 1 licensed clinical social worker. 

3 (b) APPOINTMENT BY OTHER OFFICERS.—Four ad4 ditional members shall be appointed to the Commission, 

5 with 1 member appointed by each of the following officers: 

6 (1) The Speaker of the House of Representa7 tives. 

8 (2) The minority leader of the House of Rep9 resentatives. 

10 (3) The majority leader of the Senate. 

11 (4) The minority leader of the Senate. 

12 (c) ORGANIZATIONAL REPRESENTATION.—To the ex13 tent practicable, members of the Commission shall be ap14 pointed— 

15 (1) in a manner that ensures participation of 

16 individuals of different racial, ethnic, cultural, geo17 graphic, religious, linguistic, and class backgrounds 

18 and of different genders and sexual orientations; and 

19 (2) from among individuals who demonstrate 

20 knowledge and understanding of the concerns of the 

21 groups described in paragraph (1). 

22 (d) SELECTION OF CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIR23 PERSON.—The Secretary shall appoint a Chairperson and 

24 Vice Chairperson for the Commission from among the 

25 members of the Commission. 


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1 (e) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.—Mem2 bers shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. Any 

3 vacancy in the Commission shall not affect the powers of 

4 the Commission and shall be filled in the same manner 

5 as the original appointment not later than 60 days after 

6 the date of vacancy. 

7 (f) SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS.—The Commission 

8 shall hold its first meeting not later than 6 weeks after 

9 the date on which the final member of the Commission 

10 is appointed, and subsequent meetings shall be held at the 

11 call of the Chairperson. 

12 SEC. 103. DUTIES. 

13 (a) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a com14 prehensive study to examine and assess— 

15 (1) the professional capacity of the social work 

16 workforce to successfully serve and respond to the 

17 increasing biopsychosocial needs of individuals, 

18 groups, and communities in areas related to— 

19 (A) aging; 

20 (B) child welfare; 

21 (C) military and veterans affairs; 

22 (D) mental and behavioral health and dis23 ability; 

24 (E) criminal justice and correctional sys25 tems; 


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1 (F) health and other issues affecting 

2 women and families; and 

3 (G) other topics identified by the Commis4 sion; 

5 (2) workforce challenges facing the profession 

6 of social work, including high educational debt, lack 

7 of fair market compensation, the need to translate 

8 social work research to practice, the need to improve 

9 social worker safety, the need to develop State-level 

10 social work licensure policies and reciprocity agree11 ments for social workers providing services across 

12 State lines, the lack of diversity in the social work 

13 profession, and any other issue determined by the 

14 Secretary to be appropriate; 

15 (3) the effect of such challenges on the recruit16 ment and retention of social workers; 

17 (4) the effect of such challenges and of social 

18 worker shortages on the needs of clients served by 

19 social workers; and 

20 (5) the advisability of establishing in the Treas21 ury a social work enhancement account to provide 

22 direct grant assistance to local governments to en23 courage the engagement of social workers in social 

24 service programs. 


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1 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

2 date of its first meeting, the Commission shall submit a 

3 report to the Secretary and to Congress containing specific 

4 findings and conclusions regarding the need to recruit and 

5 retain social workers, to conduct research on the social 

6 work profession, and to reinvest in the profession. The re7 port shall include recommendations and strategies for cor8 rective actions to ensure a robust social work workforce 

9 capable of keeping up with the demand for services. The 

10 Commission may provide to the Secretary and to Congress 

11 any additional findings or recommendations considered by 

12 the Commission to be important. 

13 SEC. 104. POWERS. 

14 (a) POWERS.—In carrying out the duties of the Com15 mission, the Commission shall have the power to— 

16 (1) hold hearings, take testimony, receive evi17 dence, administer oaths, and sit and act at such 

18 times and places as the Commission considers advis19 able; 

20 (2) enter into contracts; and 

21 (3) consult, to the extent that the Commission 

22 determines that such consultation is necessary or 

23 useful, with Federal agencies that include— 

24 (A) agencies within the Department of 

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1 ministration for Children and Families, the Ad2 ministration on Aging, the Agency for 

3 Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers 

4 for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers 

5 for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Health 

6 Resources and Service Administration, the In7 dian Health Service, the National Institutes of 

8 Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental 

9 Health Services Administration; 

10 (B) the Social Security Administration; 

11 and 

12 (C) the Departments of Agriculture, De13 fense, Education, Homeland Security, Labor, 

14 Justice, State, and Veterans Affairs. 

15 (b) COOPERATION WITH COMMISSION.—The agen16 cies described in subsection (a)(3) shall cooperate with, 

17 and provide counsel to, the Commission to the greatest 

18 extent practicable. 

19 SEC. 105. COMPENSATION. 

20 (a) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—The members of the Com21 mission shall not receive compensation for the perform22 ance of services for the Commission, but shall be provided 

23 travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, 

24 at rates authorized for employees of Federal agencies 

25 under subchapter 1 of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 


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1 Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 

2 business in the performance of services for the Commis3 sion. 

4 (b) VOLUNTARY AND UNCOMPENSATED SERVICES.— 

5 Notwithstanding section 1342 of title 31, United States 

6 Code, the Secretary may accept the voluntary and uncom7 pensated services of members of the Commission. 

8 (c) DETAIL OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.—Any 

9 Federal Government employee may be detailed to the 

10 Commission without reimbursement, and such detail shall 

11 be without interruption or loss of civil service status or 

12 privilege. 

13 SEC. 106. TERMINATION. 

14 The Commission shall terminate 30 days after the 

15 date on which the Commission submits the report under 

16 section 103(b). 

17 TITLE II—REINVESTMENT 

18 GRANT PROGRAMS TO SUP19 PORT SOCIAL WORK PROFES20 SION 

21 SEC. 201. WORKPLACE IMPROVEMENT GRANTS. 

22 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

23 award grants to 4 eligible entities described in subsection 

24 (d) to assist the entities in carrying out a workplace im25 provement program to address concerns for the social 


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1 work profession, including caseloads, compensation, social 

2 worker safety, supervision, and working conditions. 

3 (b) EQUAL AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall award to 

4 each of the 4 grant recipients under this section 

5 $1,000,000 per fiscal year for 4 consecutive fiscal years 

6 beginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the 

7 date of the enactment of this Act. 

8 (c) GRANTS TO STATE OR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.— 

9 At least 2 of the grant recipients under this section shall 

10 be agencies of State or local governments. 

11 (d) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—An entity eligible 

12 for a grant under this section shall— 

13 (1) work in a social work capacity; 

14 (2) demonstrate that the entity needs to im15 prove in one or more of the workplace concern areas 

16 described in subsection (a); 

17 (3) provide services to individuals of different 

18 racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, lin19 guistic, and class backgrounds, and different genders 

20 and sexual orientations; 

21 (4) demonstrate knowledge and understanding 

22 of the concerns of the groups described in paragraph 

23 (3); and 

24 (5) employ individuals who represent themselves 

25 as competent to provide social work services only 


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1 within the boundaries of their education, training, li2 censes, certification, professional case consultation, 

3 supervised experience, or other relevant professional 

4 experience. 

5 (e) PRIORITY.—In selecting grant recipients under 

6 this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible en7 tities— 

8 (1) that have proven to be fiscally responsible, 

9 administratively capable, and otherwise equipped to 

10 oversee and monitor a workplace improvement pro11 gram under this section, including through a labor12 management partnership; 

13 (2) that are knowledgeable about relevant social 

14 work workforce trends; and 

15 (3) that have not less than 2 years of experi16 ence relevant to the workplace improvement pro17 gram. 

18 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated $16,000,000 to the Sec20 retary to award grants under this section. 

21 SEC. 202. RESEARCH GRANTS. 

22 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

23 award grants to 25 social workers who hold a doctoral de24 gree in social work for postdoctoral research in social 

25 work— 


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1 (1) to further the knowledge base about effec2 tive social work interventions; and 

3 (2) to promote usable strategies to translate re4 search into practice across diverse community set5 tings and service systems. 

6 (b) EQUAL AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall award to 

7 each of the 25 grant recipients under this section $50,000 

8 per fiscal year for 4 consecutive fiscal years beginning with 

9 the first fiscal year that begins after the date of the enact10 ment of this Act. 

11 (c) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for 

12 a grant under this section, a social worker shall— 

13 (1) demonstrate knowledge and understanding 

14 of the concerns of individuals from different racial, 

15 ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, linguistic, and 

16 class backgrounds, and different genders and sexual 

17 orientations; and 

18 (2) represent themselves as competent to pro19 vide social work services only within the boundaries 

20 of their education, training, licenses, certification, 

21 professional case consultation, supervised experience, 

22 or other relevant professional experience. 

23 (d) MINORITY REPRESENTATION.—Not less than 10 

24 of the grant recipients under this section shall be employed 


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1 by a historically black college or university or minority2 serving institution. 

3 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

4 are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 to the Sec5 retary to award grants under this section. 

6 SEC. 203. EDUCATION AND TRAINING GRANTS. 

7 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

8 award grants to 20 eligible institutions of higher education 

9 to support the recruitment and education of social work 

10 students in baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degree 

11 programs and the professional development of social work 

12 faculty. 

13 (b) EQUAL AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall award to 

14 each of the 20 grant recipients under this section 

15 $200,000 per fiscal year for 4 consecutive fiscal years be16 ginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the date 

17 of the enactment of this Act. 

18 (c) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for 

19 a grant under this section, an institution shall dem20 onstrate that— 

21 (1) the institution enrolls social work students 

22 from different racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, re23 ligious, linguistic, and class backgrounds, and dif24 ferent genders and sexual orientations; and 


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1 (2) the institution has knowledge and under2 standing of the concerns of the groups described in 

3 paragraph (1). 

4 (d) INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT.—Not less than 4 

5 of the grant recipients under this section shall be histori6 cally black colleges or universities or other minority-serv7 ing institutions. 

8 (e) PRIORITY.—In selecting grant recipients under 

9 this section, the Secretary shall give priority to institutions 

10 of higher education— 

11 (1) that are accredited by the Council on Social 

12 Work Education; 

13 (2) that have a graduation rate of not less than 

14 80 percent for social work students; and 

15 (3) that exhibit an ability to recruit social work16 ers from, and place social workers in, areas with a 

17 high need and high demand population. 

18 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 are authorized to be appropriated $16,000,000 to the Sec20 retary to award grants under this section. 

21 SEC. 204. COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS OF EXCELLENCE 

22 GRANTS. 

23 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

24 award grants to 6 eligible covered entities to test and rep25 licate effective social work interventions. 


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1 (b) COVERED ENTITY.—For purposes of this section, 

2 the term ‘‘covered entity’’ means— 

3 (1) a State or local government or a depart4 ment, agency, special-purpose district, or other in5 strumentality of a State or local government, that is 

6 carrying out a community-based program of excel7 lence; or 

8 (2) a nonprofit organization that is carrying out 

9 a program of excellence. 

10 (c) EQUAL AMOUNTS.—The Secretary shall award to 

11 each of the 6 grant recipients under this section $500,000 

12 per fiscal year for 3 consecutive fiscal years beginning with 

13 the first fiscal year that begins after the date of the enact14 ment of this Act. 

15 (d) ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible for 

16 a grant under this section, a covered entity shall— 

17 (1) carry out programs in the areas of aging, 

18 child welfare, military and veterans issues, mental 

19 and behavioral health and disability, criminal justice 

20 and correction systems, and health and other issues 

21 affecting women and families; 

22 (2) provide services to individuals of different 

23 racial, ethnic, cultural, geographic, religious, lin24 guistic, and class backgrounds, and different genders 

25 and sexual orientations; 


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1 (3) demonstrate knowledge and understanding 

2 of the concerns of the groups described in paragraph 

3 (2); 

4 (4) demonstrate a record of active participation 

5 of social workers in the programs of the entity; and 

6 (5) employ individuals who represent themselves 

7 as competent to provide social work services only 

8 within the boundaries of their education, training, li9 censes, certification, professional case consultation, 

10 supervised experience, or other relevant professional 

11 experience. 

12 (e) PRIORITY.—In selecting the grant recipients 

13 under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligi14 ble covered entities— 

15 (1) that have demonstrated successful and 

16 measurable outcomes that the Secretary considers 

17 worthy of replication, including labor-management 

18 partnerships that have improved retention of social 

19 workers; 

20 (2) that have been in operation for at least 2 

21 years; and 

22 (3) that work with high need and high demand 

23 populations. 


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1 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

2 are authorized to be appropriated $9,000,000 to the Sec3 retary to award grants under this section. 

4 SEC. 205. NATIONAL COORDINATING CENTER. 

5 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall enter into 

6 a contract with a national social work entity such as the 

7 National Association of Social Workers or the Council on 

8 Social Work Education. Such entity shall— 

9 (1) have experience in coordinating the transfer 

10 of information and ideas among entities engaged in 

11 social work research, practice, education, and policy12 making; and 

13 (2) maintain relationships with Federal entities, 

14 social work degree-granting institutions of higher 

15 education, departments of social work within such 

16 institutions, and organizations and agencies that em17 ploy social workers. 

18 (b) GENERAL DUTIES.—The entity with which the 

19 Secretary enters into a contract under subsection (a) (re20 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘coordinating center’’) shall 

21 organize, collect, and report to the Secretary and to Con22 gress data and information related to the social work pro23 fession, serve as a clearinghouse, and coordinate activities 

24 with the entities, institutions, departments, organizations, 

25 and agencies described in subsection (a)(2). 


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1 (c) COLLABORATION.—The coordinating center shall 

2 work with institutions of higher education, research enti3 ties, and organizations with social work practice settings, 

4 including government entities, military departments, ele5 mentary and secondary schools, social services agencies, 

6 private practices, inpatient and outpatient mental health 

7 service providers, child welfare agencies, correctional fa8 cilities, and nursing homes, to identify key research areas, 

9 establish research fellowships, and organize appropriate 

10 mentorship and professional development efforts. 

11 (d) SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF THE COORDINATING

12 CENTER.—The coordinating center shall— 

13 (1) engage in activities to build on the efforts 

14 of the National Association of Social Workers Na15 tional Center for Workforce Studies; 

16 (2) collect, coordinate, monitor, and distribute 

17 data and information on best practices and findings 

18 regarding the activities funded by grants awarded 

19 under sections 201 through 204; 

20 (3) prepare and submit to the Secretary a re21 port that includes recommendations regarding the 

22 need to recruit new social workers, retain current so23 cial workers, conduct social work research, and rein24 vest in the profession of social work; 


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1 (4) demonstrate cultural competency and pro2 mote the participation of diverse groups; and 

3 (5) in collaboration with the Secretary, select 

4 research topics to further the goals of this section, 

5 establish new research fellowships to conduct such 

6 research, and identify and appoint qualified individ7 uals to such fellowship positions from among individ8 uals who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in social 

9 work or are enrolled in master’s or doctoral degree 

10 programs at schools of social work. 

11 (e) POWERS OF SECRETARY.—The Secretary may 

12 conduct and authorize such other activities as the Sec13 retary considers appropriate to carry out this section. 

14 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

15 are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 to carry out 

16 this section for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024. 

17 SEC. 206. MULTIMEDIA OUTREACH CAMPAIGN. 

18 (a) DEVELOPMENT AND ISSUANCE OF PUBLIC SERV19 ICE ANNOUNCEMENTS.—The Secretary shall develop and 

20 issue public service announcements that advertise and pro21 mote the social work profession, highlight the advantages 

22 and rewards of social work, and encourage individuals to 

23 enter the social work profession. 

24 (b) METHOD.—The public service announcements de25 scribed in subsection (a) shall be broadcast through approVerDate Sep 11 2014 20:58 Mar 19, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1532.IH H1532

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1 priate media outlets, including television or radio, in a 

2 manner intended to reach as wide and diverse of an audi3 ence as possible. 

4 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

5 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

6 necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 

7 2020 through 2024. 

Æ 


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