To establish the Social Work Apprenticeship Retention and Training (SMART) Internship Program, to name this act the Ohio Students and Families Workforce Strengthening Act, and to make an appropriation.
HB797 would create the Social Work Apprenticeship Retention and Training (SMART) Internship Pilot Program, a three-year program administered by the Chancellor of Higher Education. The program is designed to place eligible master’s-level social work students from five Ohio universities into paid internships at qualifying public schools that serve high-need student populations, with the goal of strengthening the school-based social work workforce and helping students and families overcome nonacademic barriers to success. The bill also names the act the Ohio Students and Families Workforce Strengthening Act.
Under the bill, eligible students could receive grants for internships of up to 20 hours per week for no more than 30 weeks per academic year, with awards capped at $15,000 per school year. Grants could be paid either as hourly wages or as a lump sum at the end of the internship period. The Chancellor would also be authorized to provide up to $250 to supervisors for each participating student, adopt administrative rules, and submit interim and final reports evaluating participation, placements, retention, workforce outcomes, and implementation challenges. The bill expressly states that it does not require or expand clinical mental health treatment in schools.
HB797 would create a new state-administered pilot program and appropriate $1 million in FY 2027 and $1 million in FY 2028 from the General Revenue Fund through the Department of Behavioral Health for the SMART Internship Pilot Program, in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education. It would affect higher education administration, school-based social work training, and public schools that qualify by serving at least 50% free- or reduced-price lunch students. The bill would not amend the social work licensing statutes directly, but it would interact with existing licensure pathways under section 4757.26 of the Revised Code and could influence recruitment and retention of school social workers in underserved districts, community schools, STEM schools, and educational service centers.
Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears generally supportive and workforce-focused, with an emphasis on helping students, families, and high-need schools. The bill was introduced and referred to the House Children and Human Services Committee, but no votes or committee transcripts are available, so there is no recorded public debate in the provided materials. The structure of the bill as a limited pilot with reporting requirements suggests an intent to test the program before any decision on permanent adoption.
The main potential points of contention are likely to be fiscal and programmatic rather than ideological. The bill requires a new appropriation and creates a paid internship structure, which could raise questions about cost, sustainability, and whether the pilot should become permanent. Another possible issue is the scope of the program: it is limited to students at five named universities and to qualifying schools meeting a poverty threshold, which may prompt discussion about fairness, geographic reach, and whether the program should be expanded. The bill also explicitly says it does not expand clinical mental health services in schools, which may be relevant to stakeholders concerned about the line between social work support and mental health treatment.