2024 -- H 7627 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF

     UTILIZING FEDERAL TITLE IV DOLLARS TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE

ENROLLMENT IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AT RIC

     Introduced By: Representatives Casimiro, Noret, Serpa, Solomon, and Cruz

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2024

     Referred To: House Health & Human Services

     WHEREAS, In 1980, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Reform Act of 1980

(Public Law 96-272) was passed; and

     WHEREAS, This Act created Title IV-E that allows state child welfare agencies to claim

and utilize federal financial participation (FFP) funds to augment training and educating of state

public child welfare workers; and

     WHEREAS, The Act encouraged state/college partnerships to educate and elevate the

professional skills of social case workers, casework supervisors, child protective investigators,

child protective investigator supervisors and those interested in working in public child welfares;

and

     WHEREAS, BSW/MSW education funded by Title IV-E of Social Security Act ("Title

IV-E Child Welfare Education") is an important incentive to encourage social workers to fill

critical vacancies serving Rhode Island's most vulnerable children and families; and

     WHEREAS, Title IV-E Child Welfare Education aims to demonstrate a robust training

partnership between public college social work programs and public child welfare agencies to

recruit, develop and retain an educated, professional, stable, and committed workforce; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That a special legislative commission be and the same is hereby created

consisting of thirteen (13) members: three (3) of whom shall be members of the House of

Representatives, not more than two (2) from the same political party, to be appointed by the

Speaker of the House; two (2) of whom shall be members of SEIU Local 580, be appointed by

the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of Admissions at Rhode Island

College, or designee; one of whom shall be the Dean of the School of Social Work at Rhode

Island College, or designee; one of whom shall be a member of the RIC School of Social Work,

to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be a Senior Advisor to the

Governor, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House; one of whom shall be the Director of the

Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), or designee; one of whom shall be a

member of staff at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), to be appointed by

the Director of DCYF; one of whom shall be the Director of Workforce Development at the

Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), or designee; and one of whom shall

be the Director Adult Programs for the Office of Post-Secondary Education, or designee.

     In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a legislative study

commission, or any commission created by a General Assembly resolution, the appointing

authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that

the Majority Leader or the Minority Leader of the political party which is entitled to the

appointment, consents to the member of the general public.

     The purpose of said commission shall be to study the feasibility of utilizing Federal Title

IV-E dollars to leverage and help enroll and graduate students in the field of social work in a state

college (Rhode Island College) in order to ultimately serve a Rhode Island state agency (DCYF).

The goal of providing this funding is to attract and retain front line staff for the Department of

Children Youth and Families.

     Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at

the call of the Speaker of the House and organize and shall select a chairperson.

     Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

     The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

     All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information,

documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or

desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

     The Speaker of the House is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters

for said commission; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the

Office of the Governor and the House of Representative no later than February 11, 2025, and said

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commission shall expire on April 9, 2025.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF

     UTILIZING FEDERAL TITLE IV DOLLARS TO SUPPORT AND ENHANCE

ENROLLMENT IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION AT RIC

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     This resolution would create a thirteen (13) member special legislative study commission

whose purpose it would be to study the feasibility of utilizing Federal Title IV-E dollars to

leverage and help enroll and graduate students in the field of social work, and who would report

back to the House and Governor no later than February 11, 2025, and would expire on April 9,

2025.

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