An Act To Authorize the Social Work Education Loan Repayment Program
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0711
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: CASAVANT, BRANNIGAN, ADAMS, BEAUDETTE, BEAUDOIN, CAIN, LEGG, PERRY, RICHARDSON, ALFOND

Legislative Document 
No. 711 
H.P.494 
House of Representatives, February 24,2009 
An Act To Authorize the Social Work Education Loan Repayment 
Program 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
' 
Presented by Representative CASAVANT of Biddeford. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRANNIGAN of Cumberland and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, BEAUDETTE of Biddeford, BEAUDOIN of 
Biddeford, CAIN of Orono, LEGG of Kennebunk, PERRY of Calais, RICHARDSON of 
Carmel, Senator: ALFOND of Cumberland. 
PI hued on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People oftheState of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA c. 110, sub-c. 2-B is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 2-B 
SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION LOAN REP A YMENTPROGRAM 
§1038. Social Work Education Loan Repayment Program 
1. Definitions. As used in this subchapter, Unless the context otherwise indicates, 
the following terms have the following meanings. 
A. "Fund" means the Social Work Education Loan Repayment Fund established in 
subsection 4. 
B. 
"Program" means the Social Work Education Loan Repayment Program 
. established in subsection 2. 
. 
2. 
Social Work Education Loan Repayment Program. 
The Social Work 
Education Loan Repayment Program.is established for the purpose of increasing the 
number of social workers practicing in the State. 
3. Criteria. For an applicant to participate in the program, the applicant must: 
A. Be a social worker licensed under Title 32, chapter 83; 
B. Have completed a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree in social work from an 
accredited school of social work; 
. 
C. Possess an outstanding education loan reiating to·the degree; and 
D. Have signed a statement of intent in a form acceptable to the authority to work as 
a social· worker in the State for a minimum of 3 years after acceptance into the 
program. 
4. Social Work Education Loan Repayment Fund. The Social Work Education 
Loan Repayment Fund is created as a nonIapsing, interest-earning, revolving fund to. 
carry out the purposes of this subchapter. 
A.. The authority may receive, invest and expend on behalf of the fund money from 
gifts, grants, bequests, loans and donations in addition to money appropriated or 
allocated by the State. Money received by the authority on behalf of the fund must be 
used for the purposes of this subchapter. 
The fund must be· maintained and 
administered by the authority. Any unexpended balance in the fund carries forward 
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for continued use under this subchapter. 
B. Costs and expenses of maintaining, servicing and administering the fund and of 
administering the program may be paid out of amounts in the fund. 
5. Administration. The program and the fund are administered by the authority. 
The authority shall repay the loan of an applicant who meets the criteria in subsection 3 in 
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the amount of up to $5,000. The authority may adopt rules to . carry out the purposes· of 
this subchapter. Rules adopted pursuant. to thls subsection are routine technical rules 
pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes the Social Work Education Loan Repayment Program.