Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young, Jr., Social Work Reinvestment Act

Bill: 114-hr-1378
Sponsor: Rep. Lee, Barbara [D-CA-13]
Introduced: 2015-03-16 in the House
Policy area: Social Welfare
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Congressional oversight
Department of Health and Human Services
Education programs funding
Executive agency funding and structure
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Higher education
Licensing and registrations
Policy sciences
Public contracts and procurement
Research administration and funding
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
Student aid and college costs
Wages and earnings
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-03-16
text: 

Dorothy I. Height and Whitney M. Young Jr., Social Work Reinvestment Act

 
 This bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Social Work Reinvestment Commission to provide independent counsel to Congress and the Secretary on policy issues related to recruitment, retention, research, and reinvestment in the profession of social work.
 
The Commission shall study issues facing the social work profession, including: (1) fair market compensation, high educational debt, social work workforce trends, translating social work research to practice, and social work safety; and (2) state-level social work licensure policies and reciprocity agreements for providing services across state lines. 
The Secretary is directed to award grants to four eligible entities, including at least two agencies of state or local governments, to assist them in carrying out a workplace improvement program to address concerns for the social work profession.
 
The Secretary shall also award grants to: (1) 25 social workers who hold a doctoral degree in social work for postdoctoral research in social work, (2) 20 eligible institutions of higher education to support the recruitment and education of social work students in advanced degree programs and the professional development of social work faculty, and (3) six eligible covered entities to test and replicate effective social work interventions.
 
The Secretary shall contract with a national social work entity that serves as a coordinating center to: (1) engage in activities to build on the efforts of the National Association of Social Workers National Center for Workforce Studies; (2) collect, coordinate, monitor, and distribute data and information on best practices and findings regarding grant-funded activities; (3) report to the Secretary recommendations on the need to recruit new social workers, retain current social worker, conduct social worker research, and reinvest in the profession of social work; and (4) select research topics to further the goals of this Act.
 
The Secretary must develop and issue public service announcements that advertise and promote the social work profession.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-04-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
action_date: 2015-03-16
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2015-03-16
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-03-16
text: Introduced in House