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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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CONTACT: Casey Kockler |
State Rep. Thomas Petrone |
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House passes Petrone’s loan forgiveness bill
for mental health and addiction counselors
HARRISBURG, April 18 – State Rep. Thomas Petrone, D-Allegheny, is pleased to announce that the House of Representatives has passed his bill that would provide student loan forgiveness to mental health and mental retardation staff members and substance abuse addiction counselors.
The bill (H.B. 282), which passed 191-4, would provide forgiveness on qualified student loans of up to $5,000 per year and $20,000 total per person.
Petrone said the bill would be a crucial component in boosting the ranks of mental health counselors, a dwindling choice of profession.
“My loan forgiveness bill would help to ensure we continue recruiting the best and the brightest into this demanding and often under-recognized field. I am pleased that my colleagues in the House agree that these talented people deserve to be rewarded for the hard work they do each and every day,” he said.
To qualify for loan forgiveness under the legislation, applicants would need to meet several requirements:
- Successful completion of a two-year or four-year academic degree or diploma, or graduate-level academic degree.
- Have borrowed through a loan program administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
- Be employed by a county mental health or mental retardation service agency, a private company contracting with a county to provide mental health services, or a licensed alcohol and drug addiction treatment facility.
Loan forgiveness awards would be made to the extent that funds were appropriated by the General Assembly.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency would administer the program, adopt regulations and develop policies, procedures and forms as necessary.
The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. It attracted about four dozen co-sponsors in the House.
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