An Act to create 20.255 (3) (cm) and 115.429 of the statutes; Relating to: grants for prospective school social workers, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)
Summary
SB346 would create a new Department of Public Instruction grant program to help pay for the education required to become a licensed school social worker. The grants would be available only to individuals who are members of a racial minority group and who are either already employed by a school board or enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or accredited graduate program leading to school social worker licensure. The bill also gives DPI rule-making authority to administer the program.
The bill appropriates $5 million general purpose revenue in each of two fiscal years, for a total of $10 million, to fund the grants. It adds a new statutory section, 115.429, and a corresponding appropriation line in the state budget schedule, making the program part of DPI’s aid to libraries, individuals, and organizations appropriation structure. The act would take effect after publication or after the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.
Impact
SB346 would amend Wisconsin statutes by creating s. 115.429 and a related appropriation in s. 20.255 (3) (cm), directing DPI to administer a targeted scholarship-style grant program for prospective school social workers. The bill would affect state education funding and licensing pathways by subsidizing training costs for a defined group of applicants, while leaving DPI to establish implementing rules. It would primarily affect racial minority individuals pursuing school social work credentials, as well as school boards and higher-education programs connected to that pipeline.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been introduced with support from a sizable group of Senate and Assembly cosponsors, suggesting interest in expanding the school social worker pipeline and addressing workforce shortages through targeted financial assistance. However, there is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, and the bill ultimately failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1. Overall, the available context suggests support among sponsors for the policy goal, but no documented floor or committee debate to indicate broader consensus.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the bill’s race-based eligibility restriction, which limits grants to members of racial minority groups. Supporters likely view the targeting as a workforce-diversity and equity measure aimed at increasing representation in school social work, while critics could question whether the classification is appropriate, necessary, or legally vulnerable. Another possible issue is the $10 million appropriation and whether the state should fund a new grant program rather than a broader, race-neutral scholarship or loan-forgiveness approach. Because no committee discussion is provided, these concerns are inferred from the bill’s structure rather than from recorded debate.
Crossfiled
An Act to create 20.255 (3) (cm) and 115.429 of the statutes; Relating to: grants for prospective school social workers, granting rule-making authority, and making an appropriation. (FE)