[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6157742,"mediaKeyId","5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48","parentId",5463398,"title","Debate over ‘Super Act’ centers on removing master's licensure exam, funding paid internships","audioSeconds",8914,"startMs",572000,"endMs",9486000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48&start=572&end=9486","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48/thumbnail_572000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6157742/Massachusetts/Debate-over-Super-Act-centers-on-removing-masters-licensure-exam-funding-paid-internships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157742-0d50005b8ed063133f8f43e463c2a720/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431700&Signature=g1vKPs6lTyUZxxUKoeT0jyUKSC6dKm8bqD29-kLmaYBm3JwO4~dWEy~yWzeKnjZsPNjB4u7RQOsBisUpnvKklQI39EigtO5LI9p2tEVLE1PDwY4JDvDTTcG318VHlKJJN~blHcjVMD~IHPo~TMlHCjg-o~sfn~FYjrgNTpAzmzIJFWNbYnU-XbYseksjrICzPnuFPcgboYaiYPuO-UJL22H0NqVdCZnCWHu9HjWu23b9eMId-pc08VAgRasjwzUfD2NhG6iAC3ZI-fUldVJ28dFODMxR0o9yelV7t3aMvbDyys2TQOyXUzO8~Dss1xfKeBTz9zDkh1fuRtWgD4I2DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-07-18T00:00:00Z","article","The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard competing views Friday on the Super Act, a package of bills (S.218 / H.1423) that would remove the ASWB master's licensure exam for initial LCSW licensure, create a state grant program to stipend MSW field placements and allow LICSWs to receive continuing-education credit for supervision. Advocates said the changes would expand a critically short behavioral health workforce; the Association of Social Work Boards warned removing the exam would undermine public protection and complicate interstate licensure.

Why it matters: Committee members heard that Massachusetts faces a shortage of licensed social workers while the state's need for behavioral-health services has increased. Supporters said unpaid internships and racial and linguistic disparities in pass rates for the ASWB exam block entry into the profession; opponents argued a national exam provides a uniform standard that states and the pending social work licensure compact rely on.

Supporters emphasized that field placements are often unpaid and that stipends would remove an economic barrier for students working multiple jobs. \"Receiving a stipend for this work would provide a sense of financial security and stability for hardworking social work graduate students in the state of Massachusetts,\" MSW student Emily Armond told the committee. Multiple faculty and hospital social work leaders said the exam does not measure clinical competence developed through accredited coursework and supervised practice. Bridgewater State associate professor Taylor Hall told the committee, \"There is no evidence that passing this exam makes someone a more effective social worker,\" and urged lawmakers to adopt alternative, practice-based licensing pathways.

Opponents principally included witnesses from the Association of Social Work Boards. ASWB CEO Stacy Arnie Chandler testified, \"While ASWB supports efforts to recruit and retain qualified social workers, eliminating the examination requirement would have drastic implications for both the public and the profession.\" Jennifer Henkel, project director for ASWB's licensure portability grant, said a qualifying national exam is a key condition for many states to join the social work compact and argued that a bifurcated licensing track would be administratively complicated.

Hospital leaders described operational effects. Pamela Chamorro, senior director of social work at Boston Children's Hospital, said licensure bottlenecks produce staff shortages that delay discharges and increase burnout: \"Delays in discharge for medically cleared patients, especially those with complex psychosocial needs, are due to shortages of licensed social workers.\" Colleagues asked lawmakers to preserve rigorous standards while removing what they called an inequitable gatekeeper.

Committee members asked several witnesses whether states can combine approaches: Rhode Island and Connecticut have paused use of the master's exam while maintaining pathways to multi-state licensure by allowing exam takers to qualify for the compact. ASWB witnesses said such bifurcated systems are possible but add administrative burden. Supporters said that, in practice, required supervised practice, accredited degrees and employer evaluations can serve as reliable alternatives to multiple-choice exams.

What the bill does and does not do: The Super Act as presented would (1) create a stipend program for MSW field placements, (2) eliminate the master's-level exam as an entry requirement for LCSW licensure in Massachusetts, and (3) allow licensed clinical social workers to earn continuing-education credit for supervising provisional clinicians. It does not remove graduate-degree requirements, remove supervised-practice hour requirements, or change standards for higher-level independent practice licensure except as specified by the bill text. Several witnesses emphasized the bill preserves accredited-degree and supervised-practice prerequisites.

Outlook: Lawmakers did not take a vote at the hearing. The committee heard detailed evidence from both proponents and the national exam sponsor; members pressed for data on compact participation, pass-rate disparities, and administrative impacts of a bifurcated licensure system. Multiple witnesses volunteered to provide more data and models from Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Ending note: The committee will decide whether to report the Super Act out favorably after receiving follow-up materials and fiscal analysis; in the meantime witnesses on both sides urged that any changes be coupled with investments in paid internships, supervision capacity and workforce supports.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Higher Education - 7-18-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard competing views Friday on the Super Act, a package of bills that would eliminate the ASWB master's licensure exam for entry-level clinical social work, create state stipends for MSW field placements and give continuing-education credit to supervisors.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6157738,"Grandparents and advocates press committee to extend tuition waivers to kinship guardians",4239,2558000,6797000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48&start=2558&end=6797","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48/thumbnail_2558000.jpg","/articles/6157738/Massachusetts/Grandparents-and-advocates-press-committee-to-extend-tuition-waivers-to-kinship-guardians","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157738-459e07b09b41f5552b188ac66aebad5b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431700&Signature=mY2jDjZNRBof10p3N3hOmywDqhRX6nO4hv3h2y8vc-xOPiIB3nn5X3v~qOW6NnEUtaKQrUd9MA8njFqIvRvTzvI5YmhAWEmYvyVIwDoebNvGCQvzuW54Rz6jWTy7FhpD-EpfWbM3fxwTyzog6KT5im7zpEOyJESC02SCh8iYxRd7RYyzXHv4BLRuKgUvX7z8mNxgNxw1Gn1TrfI2WGKGqcuaOCQnZT-kmY1QT4HP-y7tYdAFA8a5sMov0k0jaGAmghMngjk1vnMJNbgi9TzJoow~uDPNqba~wyG4I57-FHXgJRr41~TVhTSA1RZw3WRchw13FRdTyQPvhzUgy1LLQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Grandparents, guardians and advocates urged the Joint Committee on Higher Education Friday to extend existing tuition-and-fee waivers so they explicitly cover young adults raised by kinship guardians or grandparents, not only those who were formerly in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

Why it matters: Several witnesses said tens of thousands of Massachusetts children live with grandparents or relatives; many caregivers are on fixed incomes and cannot afford college for those children. Advocates called the proposed change an equity fix that would align the law with what local guardians and family advocates described as an already functioning reality.

Representative Anthony Donato told the committee that thousands of grandchildren are raised by grandparents, often on Social Security or small pensions, and asked the panel to revisit the law to equalize access to public higher-education waivers. Joseph O'Leary, chair of the Commonwealth's Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, told the committee that \"Chapter 15A section 19 of the general laws provides tuition and fee waivers at Massachusetts institutions of higher education for those young adults with a history of legal guardianship under the authority of the Department of Children and Families\" and urged that the statute be amended so the same benefit covers kinship guardianship outside DCF custody.

Grandparents described financial strain. Sandra Vecchio, who leads a kinship support group, said many grandparents \"are on fixed incomes\" and face costs such as denied orthodontia and routine household expenses; Karen Gardner, a guardian from Orange, said her household relies on Social Security, SSI and limited supports and that her granddaughter's dream of attending college would be impossible without tuition relief.

Commission and advocacy leaders said the legal fix is narrow. O'Leary characterized the proposed bills (H.1428 / S.924) as amending the statutory language to include youth in legal guardianship outside of DCF custody, so the same waiver that currently serves youth who were in DCF custody would also apply to adopted youth and those in probate-ordered guardianship.

What the committee heard on scope and numbers: Witnesses cited a cohort of roughly 1,600'1,700 young adults currently in DCF care aged 18'23 as one measurable population that benefits from existing waivers; advocates asked the committee to estimate how many additional young people would be covered by the kinship amendment and offered help pulling that data from DCF and probate records.

Outlook: The committee did not vote. Members asked for follow-up data on the number of adopted youth and youth in kinship guardianship outside DCF custody and requested written material from the Commission on the Status of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

Ending: Advocates framed the bills as an equity correction to ensure youth raised by family guardians have the same pathway to higher education as youth who entered care through DCF. Lawmakers asked advocates and agency staff to provide clarifying numbers and technical statutory language for committee consideration.
","Grandparents, guardians and commission leaders urged the Joint Committee on Higher Education to amend the statute that grants tuition-and-fee waivers so it explicitly covers young adults raised by kinship guardians and grandparents, not only those who were in DCF custody.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6157723,"Senator seeks limits on public-college directory disclosures, citing data-mining concerns",654,3754000,4408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48&start=3754&end=4408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48/thumbnail_3754000.jpg","/articles/6157723/Massachusetts/Senator-seeks-limits-on-public-college-directory-disclosures-citing-data-mining-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157723-2c6a528149b2f2a5ba1ef5f9495b3d2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431700&Signature=T~W0b3DySvHJtcCFJpvzmqMRtprsoQUIW~PhsrmEgGJeFfWv8pNwmhD44-3G5B0oLprINxyWeEIwE8vus5J928KYLQJ52F0qZ27fM~koHQOIcSTjuMbkG3e8R2wTORq~c3Qw2KBv47OfgJ-q4Y6lWVqIkw4LTV4Ml5-Upe1I8GMz6~~upZnDHDXNptk-AAYeyvF5G1LsWgBFlJzoiBwgtfVX2B5zyZvMsMHMCESlHYQ-2U66kyopHcul4qTZTJ9FgvajokdiqY1Ww9t~9MNX2vaG7YiksG0yB~4c~VoFGkysj38j~0cKdE3HG8Af59WhBS-O-AQVqio1UIQESO0oyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Jake Olivera urged the Joint Committee on Higher Education to advance legislation that would shield directory information for students at public colleges and universities from data-mining and commercial resale. Olivera said private-college students do not face the same exposure to public-record requests and that the proposed change would better protect privacy and prevent unwanted solicitations or government uses.

Why it matters: Olivera argued the current practice exposes public-student contact data to third parties and that protections should match private institutions' practices. He said the legislation would prevent companies from buying, selling or scraping student directory information and could also be tailored to limit access by nonessential entities.

Olivera framed the policy as protecting students and families from being marketed to or having their information shared; he said work already underway with the secretary of state's office had tried to limit uses such as jury-duties while preserving official purposes. \"Directory information for students who attend our 29 public colleges and universities are protected, cannot be data mined, cannot be cultivated for any type of purposes,\" Olivera told the committee. He signaled willingness to refine language, including how the bill treats campus foundations, and said he would work with leaders to ensure the changes do not interfere with lawful government uses.

Representative Michelle Badger asked whether the bill would impede campus foundations that use alumni data to fundraise; Olivera said foundations are typically separate nonprofit entities and could be included or excluded by drafting choices. Committee members requested technical follow-up on exemptions for federal, state and municipal agencies and advised coordination with campus legal offices and the secretary of state.

Ending: The senator offered to work with committee staff and campus stakeholders to craft language that protects student privacy while preserving necessary government functions such as jury lists; no committee action was taken at the hearing.
","Senator Jake Olivera told the Joint Committee on Higher Education that public-college student directory information is vulnerable to commercial and government use and urged legislation to restrict data-mining. He said private colleges already shield such data, and asked the committee to consider excluding foundations or crafting language",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6157727,"Advocates push state Open Educational Resource fund to cut textbook costs and improve outcomes",1219,6828000,8047000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48&start=6828&end=8047","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48/thumbnail_6828000.jpg","/articles/6157727/Massachusetts/Advocates-push-state-Open-Educational-Resource-fund-to-cut-textbook-costs-and-improve-outcomes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157727-f1f49be75b6389865493f2dd7dd118c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431700&Signature=S6MPYvtwrk6Se9Utn1f48XgZDpls9T1hp797dpMtKNx0b6FAZddKQuOo0hn3qPsWQuhoPDAPAHwRhRxAgT5a5BFPNVJfjWTOcY754QPev-4HSl1SfsfaxzbSB4jJulsh4qv2FDDP0NAq-CnqJMsDGceUT0DsfH08h8nDyNblE5g6yMua7exAbpyaWuTdQmt~-1ZEDzwph5RtdJ7HKiqLWnvSm41rF0BP6lrUtNWbFXVIKJTLf94N5VbG~zRjiwCEXA3jZ1ZLBlc8C4dGwfJzcNommg4WhRuBiV4BsloXYFAl7jP8t28x~8xuFEX2P16BLtsk8g4-5v~rC4vNpkBc2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard testimony supporting H.1427, a bill to establish a state Open Educational Resource (OER) trust fund to finance the creation, adoption and distribution of free or low-cost course materials.

Why it matters: Witnesses said textbook and required-access-code prices have risen far faster than inflation, creating barriers to enrollment and completion. OER materials are freely licensed textbooks, modules and course materials that faculty can adapt; advocates said a modest state investment yields large student savings and improved outcomes, particularly for Pell-eligible and part-time students.

Deirdre Cummings of MASSPIRG summarized the case for OER: \"OERs are teaching, learning, and research materials that replace the need for expensive textbooks\" and noted that students frequently skip buying required materials because of cost. Northern Essex faculty reported that their campus saved more than $10 million for students since 2014 through OER adoption and that UMass Amherst's prior $200,000 OER grant produced more than $2 million in student savings over eight years.

Faculty and college leaders said OER also improves equity and retention. Sue Tazjan of NECC cited state data showing decreased failure rates and a 58-to-1 return on investment for OER grants statewide. Testimony described federal grants (notably regional ROTEL grants) that supported the creation of dozens of open textbooks and new STEM materials; witnesses asked for a permanent state fund to scale those efforts and to ensure materials are translated and adapted for diverse student populations.

What the bill would do: H.1427 would create a dedicated state trust fund to support OER development and statewide coordination, with grants to institutions and faculty to author, adapt and translate materials and to provide professional development.

Outlook: Committee members asked for more detail on implementation, metrics for success and linkage to student outcome data; OER advocates offered to provide state adoption and cost-savings data to the committee. No vote was taken at the hearing.

Ending: Witnesses framed the fund as a cost-effective investment that reduces barriers to degree completion and supports pedagogical innovation; lawmakers asked for fiscal estimates and adoption metrics to inform next steps.
","Advocates and college faculty told the Joint Committee on Higher Education that creating a state Open Educational Resource (OER) trust fund would save students millions and improve equity. Speakers from MASSPIRG, Northern Essex Community College and UMass reported large per-dollar returns from past OER investments and urged lawmakers to fund",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6157733,"Students and unions press for debt-free public higher education; lawmakers seek implementation detail",0,4367000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48&start=4367&end=4367","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5463398-36115db539ed0579b24aee30f2180d48/thumbnail_4367000.jpg","/articles/6157733/Massachusetts/Students-and-unions-press-for-debt-free-public-higher-education-lawmakers-seek-implementation-detail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6157733-e4eece277b4ce5904d86c6d947d20af6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770431700&Signature=iXB3qSmvBXt0ThvEsCQgjXMt-3Esh3HLfG1qNJDIroqEPthDzHEz-u8KG72rjoVMXZ7fMy7xS8r3NHHTStTLk8TU2XMIWdBc7oGvUc-bOwdhyy39SbooMFZlpGMRSo7JfnnINyvlC2RD9XmCw7~C5HCW0ygnlSmtYq4-z-douPIpfxEE4OehkcEOzOzrYWQGmVtmAyYEJsnT7GmNTWmKu74MppqfO6ckMHoKpDuZBm9j8ZKmC7F4G0LHFJni1UILElPtu3EIvTaMf3RXZspW80xQFCy4jS-33qijlWHgwZ0g95-Lu0VwbfAaOqKxpSSMYGuvVNv7Dq-d3Ca1Dtb9nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Joint Committee on Higher Education heard broad support Friday for legislation to make public higher education debt-free across Massachusetts public colleges and universities. Students, union leaders and legislators described the bills as the next step after free community college and pressed lawmakers to resolve implementation, timing and funding questions.

Why it matters: Proponents said debt-free public higher education would reduce lifetime student indebtedness, increase degree completion and support state economic growth. Testimony linked the proposal to workforce needs in nursing, teaching and public-service professions; advocates argued broad affordability would especially help first-generation and low-income students.

Senator Jason Eldridge, one of the bill's sponsors, described the Debt Free Future Act (H.1436 / S.929) as a grant program to pay the equivalent of tuition and mandatory fees for Massachusetts students enrolling in public postsecondary institutions. \"The debt free future act ensures that Massachusetts high school graduates are able to graduate from a public post-secondary college or university without debt,\" he said, adding that aid would be supplemental to existing federal, state and institutional support and would not replace Pell or other grants.

Students recounted financial barriers and administrative gaps. UMass Boston student Aden Pohl described rising costs and institutional pay practices, and student organizers said verification and financial-aid timing problems can leave students without aid at semester start. Rue, a student organizer, said a verification hold once threatened her enrollment when her FAFSA documentation could not be processed in time. Representative Jo Pease and others asked for clear plans on how financial aid reforms would be implemented to avoid late disbursements.

Unions and educators urged lawmakers to consider faculty and staff compensation and institutional capacity as part of a full affordability plan. Max Page of the Massachusetts Teachers Association said debt-free higher education is an investment in racial and economic justice and urged lawmakers to consider bold revenue options, including proposals to tax large private-college endowments as a possible funding source.

What the bills would do: The Debt Free Future Act would create a state grant to cover tuition and mandatory fees; proposals discussed also included additional aid for Pell-eligible students to cover non-tuition costs such as housing, books and childcare. Separately, a financial-aid modernization bill (H.1459 / S.411) would change the state's financial-aid distribution processes to ensure timelier, more predictable student access to grants and tuition relief.

Outlook and next steps: Committee members asked sponsors for fiscal plans and implementation timelines, and requested data on who would be eligible and the expected budgetary impacts. Supporters offered to supply additional data and urged the committee to advance the bills. No formal vote was taken at the hearing.

Ending: Advocates framed the bills as a durable, pro-growth public investment; lawmakers said they would consider fiscal and operational details before moving forward.
","Students, labor groups and several legislators urged the Joint Committee on Higher Education to back debt-free public higher education legislation that would cover tuition and mandatory fees across public two- and four-year institutions. Witnesses said the policy would increase degree completion and economic mobility; lawmakers asked for fiscal","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Debate over ‘Super Act’ centers on removing master's licensure exam, funding paid internships

Grandparents and advocates press committee to extend tuition waivers to kinship guardians

Senator seeks limits on public-college directory disclosures, citing data-mining concerns

Advocates push state Open Educational Resource fund to cut textbook costs and improve outcomes

Students and unions press for debt-free public higher education; lawmakers seek implementation detail