Bill > HB3283

This bill amends the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Act to add licensed occupational therapists and licensed occupational therapy assistants to the list of healthcare professionals eligible for annual grants. The bill expands the existing loan repayment program by including these two professional categories at the $15,000 per year grant level, which is consistent with the grants for licensed clinical social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists. The grants are subject to appropriation and can be awarded for a maximum of 4 years, with the Commission encouraging recipients to use the funds to pay down educational loans. This change aims to support behavioral health professionals by helping them manage their educational debt while working in their chosen field, potentially incentivizing more professionals to enter and remain in behavioral healthcare roles in Illinois.

Budget and Finance

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3283&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104