An Act to create 20.255 (3) (cm) and 115.428 of the statutes; Relating to: stipend payments for school social worker interns and making an appropriation. (FE)
Summary
AB335 would create a new state program, administered by the Department of Public Instruction, to pay stipends to school social worker interns. To qualify, a person must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program leading to licensure as a school social worker and be placed as an intern in a public school governed by a school board. The bill directs DPI to make these payments beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
The bill also creates a dedicated appropriation for the program, providing $2 million in general purpose revenue in each of fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27. The funding is tied to a new statutory provision, s. 115.428, which specifies the eligibility criteria and links the stipend payments to the appropriation in s. 20.255 (3) (cm). The act would take effect after publication or after the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
Impact
AB335 would add a new state-funded incentive for school social worker training and placement, expanding the role of DPI in supporting the pipeline of school social workers. It would create new statutory authority for stipend payments and establish a recurring appropriation in the state budget, affecting state education finance and potentially helping public schools recruit interns into a workforce area that is often difficult to staff. The bill would not directly change school district duties, but it would create a new benefit for eligible higher-education students and graduate students pursuing school social work licensure.
Sentiment
The available record suggests generally favorable support for the bill, as reflected by the broad bipartisan list of coauthors in both the Assembly and Senate. No committee transcript or recorded vote is provided, so there is no detailed debate history to indicate organized opposition or amendments. The bill’s failure to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1 indicates it did not complete the legislative process, but the sponsorship pattern suggests the concept had notable support among lawmakers.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s structure, likely issues could include the cost of the $2 million annual appropriation, whether stipends are the best way to address school social worker shortages, and how eligibility and administration would be implemented by DPI. Because there are no transcripts or votes included, it is not possible to attribute these concerns to any particular legislator, committee, or stakeholder group.
Crossfiled
An Act to create 20.255 (3) (cm) and 115.428 of the statutes; Relating to: stipend payments for school social worker interns and making an appropriation. (FE)