S 9125: Enacts the "licensure incentives and fee-support for testing (LIFT) act"; establishes the social work licensure examination voucher program to provide low-income individuals vouchers to cover the cost of the examination, regardless of the number of examination attempts, required for licensure as a licensed master social worker or licensed clinical social worker.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9125  IN SENATE February 5, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SUTTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "licen- sure incentives and fee-support for testing (LIFT) act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "licensure 2 incentives and fee-support for testing (LIFT) act". 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 7711 to read 4 as follows: 5 § 7711. Social work licensure examination voucher program. 1. The 6 department shall establish a program to provide vouchers to eligible 7 low-income individuals to cover the cost of the examination required for 8 licensure as a licensed master social worker or licensed clinical social 9 worker. 10 2. To be eligible for a voucher under this section, an applicant 11 shall: (a) be a resident of the state; (b) be eligible to sit for the 12 licensed master social worker or licensed clinical social worker exam- 13 ination; and (c) demonstrate income at or below a threshold established 14 by the department by rule or regulation, based on net taxable income, as 15 determined pursuant to section six hundred sixty-three of this chapter. 16 Provided, however, that for applicants who would be considered emanci- 17 pated pursuant to subdivision three of section six hundred sixty-three 18 of this chapter, eligibility shall be determined without regard to 19 parental income. 20 3. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations necessary to 21 implement the provisions of this section. 22 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after 23 it shall have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14592-03-6