SENATE FILE 202

BY  SCHOENJAHN, SODDERS, KIBBIE, HANCOCK, McCOY, HORN, DEARDEN, FRAISE, DANDEKAR, GRONSTAL, BLACK, QUIRMBACH, BEALL, RAGAN, WILHELM, JOCHUM, BOLKCOM, BOWMAN, HOGG, DOTZLER, SENG, HATCH, DANIELSON, and COURTNEY

A BILL FOR

An Act  relating to education and employment training by establishing the pathways for academic career and employment program and fund and the gap tuition assistance program and fund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

   Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  260H.1  Title.
   This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Pathways for Academic Career and Employment Act”.
   Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  260H.2  Pathways for academic career and employment program and fund.
   1.  A pathways for academic career and employment program is established to provide grants to community colleges for the development of projects in coordination with the department of education, the department of economic development, Iowa workforce development, regional advisory boards established pursuant to section 84A.4, and community partners to implement a simplified, streamlined, and comprehensive process, along with customized support services, to enable eligible participants to acquire effective academic and employment training to secure gainful, quality, in-state employment.
   2.  There is established in the state treasury a pathways for academic career and employment fund to be administered by the department of economic development. The aggregate total of moneys awarded from the fund shall not be more than five million dollars during a fiscal year. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
   Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  260H.3  Eligibility criteria.
   1.  Projects eligible for grants from the pathways for academic career and employment fund shall be projects that further the ability of members of target populations to secure gainful, quality employment. For the purposes of this chapter, “target population” includes:
   a.  Persons deemed low skilled for the purposes of attaining gainful, quality, in-state employment.
   b.  Persons earning incomes at or below one hundred fifty percent of the federal poverty level as defined by the most recently revised poverty income guidelines published by the United States department of health and human services.
   c.  Unemployed persons.
   d.  Underemployed persons.
   e.  Dislocated workers, including workers eligible for services and benefits under the federal Trade Adjustment Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-210, as determined by the department of workforce development and the federal internal revenue service.
   2.  Projects eligible for grants from the pathways for academic career and employment fund shall be projects that further partnerships that link the community colleges to industry and nonprofit organizations and projects that further program outcomes as provided in section 260H.4.
   Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  260H.4  Program outcomes.
  Projects eligible for grants from the pathways for academic career and employment fund shall be programs which further the following program outcomes:
   1.  Enabling the target populations to:
   a.  Acquire and demonstrate competency in basic skills.
   b.  Acquire and demonstrate competency in a specified technical field.
   c.  Complete a specified level of postsecondary education.
   d.  Earn a national career readiness certificate.
   e.  Obtain employer-validated credentials.
   f.  Secure gainful employment in high-quality, local jobs.
   2.  Satisfaction of economic and employment goals including but not limited to:
   a.  Economic and workforce development requirements in each region served by the community colleges as defined by regional advisory boards established pursuant to section 84A.4.
   b.  Needs of industry partners in areas including but not limited to:
   (1)  Information technology.
   (2)  Health care.
   (3)  Advanced manufacturing.
   (4)  Transportation.
   c.  Economic development priorities identified by the state or a state agency that are reinforced in the regional context.
   Sec. 5.  NEW SECTION.  260H.5  Program component requirements.
   Program components of a pathways for academic career and employment project implemented at a community college shall:
   1.  Include measurable and effective recruitment, assessment, and referral activities designed for the target populations.
   2.  Integrate basics skills and work-readiness training with occupational skills training.
   3.  Combine customized supportive and case management services with training services to help participants overcome barriers to employment.
   4.  Provide training services at times, locations, and through multiple, flexible modalities that are easily understood and readily accessible to the target populations. Such modalities shall support timeless entry, individualized learning, and flexible scheduling, and may include online remediation, learning lab and cohort learning communities, tutoring, and modularization.
   Sec. 6.  NEW SECTION.  260H.6  Pipeline program.
   Each community college receiving a grant from the pathways for academic career and employment fund shall develop a pipeline program in order to better serve the academic, training, and employment needs of the target populations. A pipeline program shall have the following goals:
   1.  To strengthen partnerships with community-based organizations and industry representatives.
   2.  To improve and simplify the identification, recruitment, and assessment of qualified participants.
   3.  To conduct and manage an outreach, recruitment, and intake process, along with accompanying support services, reflecting sensitivity to the time and financial constraints and remediation needs of the target populations.
   4.  To conduct orientations for qualified participants to describe regional labor market opportunities, employer partners, and program requirements and expectations.
   5.  To describe the concepts of the project implemented with funds from the pathways for academic career and employment fund and the embedded educational and support resources available through such project.
   6.  To outline the basic skills participants will learn and describe the credentials participants will earn.
   7.  To describe success milestones and ways in which temporal and instructional barriers have been minimized or eliminated.
   8.  To review how individualized and customized service strategies for participants will be developed and provided.
   Sec. 7.  NEW SECTION.  260H.7  Career pathways and bridge curriculum development program.
   Each community college receiving a grant from the pathways for academic career and employment fund shall develop a career pathways and bridge curriculum development program in order to better serve the academic, training, and employment needs of the target populations. A career pathways and bridge curriculum development program shall have the following goals:
   1.  The articulation of courses and modules, the mapping of programs within career pathways, and establishment of bridges between credit and noncredit programs. 
   2.  The integration and contextualization of basic skills education and skills training. This process shall provide for seamless progressions between adult basic education and general education development programs and continuing education and credit certificate, diploma, and degree programs.
   3.  The development of career pathways that support the attainment of industry-recognized credentials, diplomas, and degrees through stackable, modularized program delivery.
   Sec. 8.  NEW SECTION.  260H.8  Rules.
   The department of economic development, in coordination with the community colleges, the department of education, and Iowa workforce development, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A and this chapter to implement the provisions of this chapter. Regional advisory boards established pursuant to section 84A.4 shall be consulted in the development and implementation of rules to be adopted pursuant to this chapter.
   Sec. 9.  NEW SECTION.  261G.1  Title.
   This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the “Gap Tuition Assistance Act”.
   Sec. 10.  NEW SECTION.  261G.2  Gap tuition assistance program and fund.
   1.  A gap tuition assistance program is established to provide grants for need-based tuition assistance to applicants to enable completion of continuing education certificate training programs for in-demand occupations.
   2.  There is established for the community colleges a gap tuition assistance fund in the state treasury to be administered by the college student aid commission. The aggregate total of grants awarded shall not be more than five million dollars during a fiscal year. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
   Sec. 11.  NEW SECTION.  261G.3  Applicants for tuition assistance —— eligibility criteria.
   1.  The college student aid commission shall adopt rules pursuant to this chapter defining eligibility criteria for persons applying to receive tuition assistance under this chapter.
   2.  Eligibility for tuition assistance under this chapter shall be based on financial need. Criteria to be assessed in determining financial need shall include but is not limited to:
   a.  The applicant’s family income for the twelve months prior to the date of application.
   b.  The applicant’s family size.
   c.  The applicant’s county of residence.
   3.
  a.  The college student aid commission shall only approve an applicant for tuition assistance under this chapter if the community college receiving the application determines the applicant has a demonstrated capacity to achieve the following outcomes:
   (1)  The ability to complete an eligible certificate program.
   (2)  The ability to enter a postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree program for credit.
   (3)  The ability to gain full-time employment.
   (4)  The ability to maintain full-time employment over time.
   b.  The college student aid commission shall only approve an applicant for tuition assistance under this chapter if the community college receiving the application determines the applicant has a strong likelihood of achieving the outcomes described in paragraph“a” after considering factors including but not limited to:
   (1)  Barriers that may prevent an applicant from completing the certificate program.
   (2)  Barriers that may prevent an applicant from gaining employment in an in-demand occupation.
   4.  Applicants may be found eligible for partial or total tuition assistance.
   5.  Tuition assistance shall not be approved when the college student aid commission determines that funding for an applicant’s participation in an eligible certificate program is available from any other public or private funding source. 
   Sec. 12.  NEW SECTION.  261G.4  Applicants for tuition assistance —— additional provisions.
   1.  An applicant for tuition assistance under this chapter shall provide to the community college receiving the application documentation of all sources of income.
   2.  Only an applicant eligible to work in the United States shall be approved for tuition assistance under this chapter.
   3.  An application shall be valid for six months from the date of signature on the application.
   4.  A person shall not be approved for tuition assistance under this chapter for more than one eligible certificate program.
   5.  Eligibility for tuition assistance under this chapter shall not be construed to guarantee enrollment in any community college certificate program.
   Sec. 13.  NEW SECTION.  261G.5  Eligible costs.
   Costs of a certificate program eligible for coverage by tuition assistance shall include but are not limited to:
   1.  Tuition.
   2.  Direct training costs.
   3.  Required books and equipment.
   4.  Fees.
   Sec. 14.  NEW SECTION.  261G.6  Eligible certificate programs.
  For the purposes of this chapter,“eligible certificate program” means a program meeting all of the following criteria:
   1.  The program is not offered for credit, but is aligned with a certificate, diploma, or degree for credit, and does any of the following:
   a.  Offers a state, national, or locally recognized certificate.
   b.  Offers preparation for a professional examination or licensure.
   c.  Provides endorsement for an existing credential or license.
   d.  Represents recognized skill standards defined by an industrial sector.
   e.  Offers a similar credential or training.
   2.  The program offers training or a credential in an in-demand occupation. For the purposes of this chapter, “in-demand occupation” includes occupations in the following industries:
   a.  Information technology.
   b.  Health care.
   c.  Advanced manufacturing.
   d.  Transportation.
   e.  Any other industry designated as in-demand by a regional advisory board established pursuant to section 84A.4.
   Sec. 15.  NEW SECTION.  261G.7  Initial assessment.
   An applicant for tuition assistance under this chapter shall complete an initial assessment administered by the community college receiving the application to determine the applicant’s readiness to complete an eligible certificate program. The assessment shall include assessments for completion of a national career readiness certificate, including the areas of reading for information, applied mathematics, and locating information. An applicant must achieve a bronze-level certificate or the minimum score required for an eligible certificate program, whichever is higher, in order to be approved for tuition assistance. An applicant shall complete any additional assessments and occupational research required by an eligible certificate program.
   Sec. 16.  NEW SECTION.  261G.8  Program interview.
   An applicant for tuition assistance under this chapter shall meet with a member of the staff for an eligible certificate program offered by the community college receiving the application. The staff member shall discuss the relevant industry, any applicable occupational research, and any applicable training relating to the eligible certificate program. The discussion shall include an evaluation of the applicant’s capabilities, needs, family situation, work history, educational background, attitude and motivation, employment skills, vocational potential, and employment barriers. The discussion shall also include potential start dates, support needs, and other requirements for an eligible certificate program.
   Sec. 17.  NEW SECTION.  261G.9  Participation requirements.
   1.  A participant in an eligible certificate program who receives tuition assistance pursuant to this chapter shall do all of the following:
   a.  Maintain regular contact with staff members for the certificate program to document the applicant’s progress in the program.
   b.  Sign a release form to provide relevant information to community college faculty or case managers.
   c.  Discuss with staff members for the certificate program any issues that may impact the participant’s ability to complete the certificate program, obtain employment, and maintain employment over time.
   d.  Attend all required courses regularly.
   e.  Provide documentation of completion of the certificate program to the college student aid commission.
   f.  Meet with staff members for the certificate program to develop a job search plan.
   g.  Provide information to the college student aid commission relating to employment status as required by the college student aid commission.
   2.  The college student aid commission may terminate tuition assistance for a participant who fails to meet the requirements of this section.
   Sec. 18.  NEW SECTION.  261G.10  Oversight.
   1.  The college student aid commission, in coordination with the community colleges, shall establish a steering committee. The steering committee shall determine if the performance measures of the gap tuition assistance program are being met and shall take necessary steps to correct any deficiencies. The steering committee shall meet at least quarterly to evaluate and monitor the performance of the gap tuition assistance program.
   2.  The college student aid commission, in coordination with the community colleges, shall develop a common intake tracking system that shall be implemented consistently by each participating community college.
   3.  The steering committee shall designate one community college to serve as the lead community college for the gap tuition assistance program. The lead community college shall coordinate statewide oversight, evaluation, and reporting efforts for the gap tuition assistance program.
   Sec. 19.  NEW SECTION.  261G.11  Rules.
   The college student aid commission, in consultation with the community colleges, shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A and this chapter to implement the provisions of this chapter.
EXPLANATION
   This bill establishes the pathways for academic career and employment program and fund to provide grants to community colleges for the development of projects in coordination with the department of education, the department of economic development, Iowa workforce development, regional advisory boards established pursuant to Code section 84A.4, and community partners to implement a simplified, streamlined, and comprehensive process to enable eligible participants to acquire effective academic and employment training to secure gainful, quality, in-state employment. The fund is to be administered by the department of economic development. The fund may pay out up to $5 million per fiscal year in grants. The bill provides that notwithstanding Code section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the end of a fiscal year will not revert to the general fund of the state, and notwithstanding Code section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund will be credited to the fund. The bill sets out criteria for community college projects eligible to receive grants. Eligible projects must further the ability of certain target populations of underserved persons to secure gainful, quality, in-state employment.
   The bill also requires eligible projects to further partnerships that link the community colleges to industry and nonprofit organizations. The bill sets out certain program outcomes relating to target populations and economic and employment criteria which eligible projects must satisfy. The bill sets out certain program components which an eligible project must include. The bill provides for two programs, a pipeline program and a career pathways and bridge curriculum development program, which participating community colleges must adopt, and sets out certain features of those programs. The bill directs the department of economic development, in coordination with community colleges, the department of education, and Iowa workforce development, to adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A to implement the program. The bill provides that the rulemaking should be done in consultation with regional advisory boards established pursuant to Code section 84A.4.
   The bill also establishes the gap tuition assistance program and fund to provide need-based tuition assistance to applicants to enable completion of continuing education certificate training programs for in-demand occupations. The bill establishes the fund in the treasury for community colleges. The fund is to be administered by the college student aid commission and may pay out up to $5 million per fiscal year in grants. The bill provides that notwithstanding Code section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the end of a fiscal year will not revert to the general fund of the state, and notwithstanding Code section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund will be credited to the fund.
   The bill sets out criteria for eligible applicants based on financial need. The bill provides that applicants must demonstrate a capacity for and likelihood of achieving certain outcomes. The bill prohibits the approval of a grant for an applicant who has other sources of funding available. The bill sets out what costs are eligible for coverage by a grant. The bill defines what certificate programs are eligible for grant funding. The bill requires such programs to be in certain in-demand occupations. The bill requires an applicant to undergo an initial assessment and an interview with a staff member of the certificate program to be pursued before a grant can be approved. The bill sets out various requirements for approved participants in an eligible certificate program and provides that failure to meet the requirements can result in termination of the assistance. The bill provides for oversight functions for the program, including the formation of a steering committee and the designation of a lead community college to coordinate oversight functions. The bill directs the college student aid commission, in consultation with community colleges, to adopt rules pursuant to Code chapter 17A to implement the program.