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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 260G.1 TITLE.
1 2 This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the
1 3 "Accelerated Career Education Program Act".
1 4 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 260G.2 DEFINITIONS.
1 5 When used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise
1 6 requires:
1 7 1. "Accelerated career education program" means the a
1 8 program established pursuant to section 260G.4.
1 9 2. "Agreement" means a program agreement referred to in
1 10 section 260G.4 between an employer and a community college.
1 11 3. "Board of directors" means the board of directors of a
1 12 community college.
1 13 4. "Community college" means a community college
1 14 established under chapter 260C or a consortium of two or more
1 15 community colleges.
1 16 5. "Employee" means a person employed in a program job.
1 17 6. "Employer" means a business or consortium of similar
1 18 businesses engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for
1 19 the purpose of manufacturing, processing, or assembling
1 20 products, commercial construction, conducting research and
1 21 development, or providing services in interstate commerce, but
1 22 excludes retail or any professional services except health
1 23 care services.
1 24 7. "Highly skilled job" means a job with a broadly based,
1 25 high performance skill profile including advanced computation
1 26 and communication skills, technology skills, and workplace
1 27 behavior skills, and for which an applied technical education
1 28 is required.
1 29 8. "Participant" means an individual who is enrolled in an
1 30 accelerated career education program at a community college.
1 31 9. "Participant position" means the individual student
1 32 enrollment position available in an accelerated career
1 33 education program.
1 34 10. "Program capital costs" includes, but is not limited
1 35 to, costs related to any or all of the following:
2 1 a. Classroom and laboratory renovation.
2 2 b. New classroom and laboratory construction.
2 3 c. Site acquisition or preparation.
2 4 d. Instructional equipment and technology.
2 5 11. "Program costs" means all necessary and incidental
2 6 costs of providing program services.
2 7 12. "Program job" means a highly skilled job available
2 8 from an employer pursuant to a program agreement.
2 9 13. "Program job credit" means the credit as provided in
2 10 section 260G.5.
2 11 14. "Program job position" means a job position which is
2 12 planned or available for an employee by the employer pursuant
2 13 to a program agreement.
2 14 15. "Program services" includes, but is not limited to,
2 15 all of the following provided they are pursuant to a program
2 16 agreement:
2 17 a. Program needs assessment and development.
2 18 b. Job task analysis.
2 19 c. Curriculum development and revision.
2 20 d. Instruction.
2 21 e. Instructional materials and supplies.
2 22 f. Computer software and upgrades.
2 23 g. Instructional support.
2 24 h. Administrative and student services.
2 25 i. Related school to career training programs.
2 26 j. Skill assessment services and testing.
2 27 k. Contracted services.
2 28 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 260G.3 PROGRAM AGREEMENTS.
2 29 1. A community college may enter into an agreement with an
2 30 employer in the community college's merged area to establish
2 31 an accelerated career education program. The agreement may
2 32 include reasonable and necessary provisions to implement the
2 33 accelerated career education program. If an agreement is
2 34 entered into, the community college and the employer shall
2 35 notify the department of revenue and finance as soon as
3 1 possible. The community college shall also file a copy of the
3 2 agreement with the department of economic development as
3 3 required in section 260G.7. The agreement shall provide for
3 4 program costs, including deferred costs, which may be paid
3 5 from any of the following sources:
3 6 a. Program job credits which the employer receives based
3 7 on the number of program job positions agreed to by the
3 8 employer to be available under an agreement.
3 9 b. Cash or in-kind contributions by the employer toward
3 10 the program cost.
3 11 c. Tuition, student fees, or special charges fixed by the
3 12 board of directors to defray program costs.
3 13 d. Guarantee by the employer of payments to be received
3 14 under paragraphs "a" and "b".
3 15 2. An agreement shall include a provision which specifies
3 16 the type and amount of funding sources which shall be used to
3 17 pay for program costs.
3 18 3. An agreement shall describe program services and
3 19 schedules for implementation.
3 20 4. The term of an agreement shall not exceed five years
3 21 from the date of the agreement. However, the agreement may be
3 22 renewed.
3 23 5. As part of the agreement, the employer shall agree to
3 24 interview graduating participants for full-time positions with
3 25 the employer and to provide future hiring preferences to
3 26 graduates of the accelerated career education program provided
3 27 for in the agreement.
3 28 6. Participants shall agree to interview with the employer
3 29 following completion of the accelerated career education
3 30 program.
3 31 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 260G.4 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AND
3 32 DESIGNATION.
3 33 1. Any of the following community college programs are
3 34 eligible for designation and approval as an accelerated career
3 35 education program by the board of directors:
4 1 a. A credit career, vocational, or technical education
4 2 program resulting in the conferring of a certificate, diploma,
4 3 associate of science degree, or associate of applied science
4 4 degree, which increases program capacity to enroll added
4 5 participants.
4 6 b. A credit equivalent career, vocational, or technical
4 7 educational program consisting of not less than five hundred
4 8 forty contact hours of classroom and laboratory instruction
4 9 and resulting in the conferring of a certificate or other
4 10 recognized, competency-based credential, which increases
4 11 program capacity to enroll added participants.
4 12 2. Program costs shall be calculated or recalculated on an
4 13 annual basis based on the required program services and for a
4 14 specific number of participant positions.
4 15 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 260G.5 PROGRAM JOB CREDITS FROM
4 16 WITHHOLDING.
4 17 In order to develop and retain program jobs within the
4 18 state, an agreement entered into under section 260G.4 may
4 19 include a provision for program job credits based on program
4 20 jobs identified in the agreement. If a program provides that
4 21 part of the program costs are to be met by receipt of program
4 22 job credits, the method to be used shall be as follows:
4 23 1. Program job credits shall be based upon the program job
4 24 positions identified and agreed to in the agreement.
4 25 2. Eligibility for program job credits shall be based on
4 26 certification of program job positions and program job wages
4 27 by the employer at the time established in the agreement. An
4 28 amount up to twelve percent of the gross program job wage as
4 29 certified by the employer in the agreement shall be credited
4 30 from the total payment made by an employer pursuant to section
4 31 422.16. The employer shall receive a credit against all
4 32 withholding taxes due by the employer regardless of whether or
4 33 not the withholding by the employer of current program job
4 34 wages is less than twelve percent. The employer shall remit
4 35 the amount of the credit quarterly in the same manner as
5 1 withholding payments are reported to the department of revenue
5 2 and finance, to the community college to be allocated to and
5 3 when collected paid into a special fund of the community
5 4 college to pay, in part, the program costs. When the program
5 5 costs have been paid, the employer credits shall cease and any
5 6 moneys received after the program costs have been paid shall
5 7 be remitted to the treasurer of state to be deposited in the
5 8 general fund of the state.
5 9 3. The employer shall certify to the department of revenue
5 10 and finance that the program job credit is in accordance with
5 11 the agreement and shall provide other information the
5 12 department may require.
5 13 4. A community college shall certify to the department of
5 14 revenue and finance that the amount of the program job credit
5 15 is in accordance with an agreement and shall provide other
5 16 information the department may require.
5 17 5. Employees from an employer participating in an
5 18 agreement shall receive full credit for the amount withheld as
5 19 provided in section 422.16.
5 20 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 260G.6 MAXIMUM STATEWIDE PROGRAM
5 21 JOB CREDIT.
5 22 The total amount of program job credits from all employers
5 23 which shall be allocated for all accelerated career education
5 24 programs in the state in any one fiscal year shall not exceed
5 25 the sum of thirty-three million dollars. A community college
5 26 shall file a copy of each agreement with the department of
5 27 economic development. The department shall maintain an annual
5 28 record of the proposed program job credits under each
5 29 agreement for each fiscal year. Upon receiving a copy of an
5 30 agreement, the department shall allocate any available amount
5 31 of program job credits to the community college according to
5 32 the agreement sufficient for the fiscal year and for the term
5 33 of the agreement. When the total available program job
5 34 credits are allocated for a fiscal year, the department shall
5 35 notify all community colleges that the maximum amount has been
6 1 allocated and that further program job credits will not be
6 2 available for the remainder of the fiscal year. Once program
6 3 job credits have been allocated to a community college, the
6 4 full allocation shall be received by the community college
6 5 throughout the fiscal year and for the term of the agreement
6 6 even if the statewide program job credit maximum amount is
6 7 subsequently allocated and used.
6 8 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 260G.7 FACILITATOR.
6 9 The department of economic development shall administer the
6 10 statewide allocations of program job credits to accelerated
6 11 career education programs. The department shall collect data
6 12 related to the programs and prepare an annual report regarding
6 13 the activities of the programs during the previous fiscal
6 14 year. The report shall be submitted to the governor and the
6 15 general assembly by December 31 of each year.
6 16 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION. 260G.8 CUSTOMER TRACKING SYSTEM.
6 17 All participants in an accelerated career education program
6 18 shall be included in the customer tracking system implemented
6 19 by the department of workforce development pursuant to section
6 20 84A.5 following program completion.
6 21 Sec. 9. NEW SECTION. 260G.9 PROGRAM CAPITAL FUNDS
6 22 ALLOCATION.
6 23 If moneys are appropriated by the general assembly to
6 24 support program capital costs, the moneys shall be allocated
6 25 on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to receive such
6 26 moneys a program agreement approved by the community college
6 27 board of directors must be in place, program capital cost
6 28 requests shall be approved by the Iowa economic development
6 29 board created in section 15.103, program capital cost requests
6 30 shall be approved or denied not later than sixty days
6 31 following receipt of the request by the department, and
6 32 employer contributions toward program capital costs shall be
6 33 certified and agreed to in the agreement.
6 34 EXPLANATION
6 35 This bill provides that a community college may enter into
7 1 an agreement with certain employers in the community college's
7 2 merged area to establish an accelerated career education
7 3 program. The bill provides that certain types of community
7 4 college programs are eligible for designation as an
7 5 accelerated career education program. The bill provides that,
7 6 after entering the agreement, the department of revenue and
7 7 finance and the department of economic development shall be
7 8 notified of the agreement. The bill provides that the
7 9 agreement shall specify the type and amount of funding sources
7 10 which will be used to pay for the program costs. The bill
7 11 provides that possible funding sources include tax credits
7 12 from withholding, cash or in-kind contributions by the
7 13 employer, and tuition, fees, or special charges fixed by the
7 14 community college. The bill provides that as part of the
7 15 agreement, the employer shall agree to interview graduating
7 16 participants in the program and provide future hiring
7 17 preferences. The bill provides that participants in the
7 18 program shall agree to interview with the employer.
7 19 The bill provides that the method for using the tax credit
7 20 from withholding, which is one option for paying for the
7 21 program costs. The bill provides that an amount up to 12
7 22 percent of the gross wages of the program jobs in an agreement
7 23 shall be credited from the total payment made by the employer.
7 24 The credit shall be against all withholding taxes due by the
7 25 employer. The bill provides that the employer and community
7 26 college must make certain certifications to the department of
7 27 revenue and finance regarding how the credits are in
7 28 accordance with the program agreement.
7 29 The bill provides that the total amount of tax credits from
7 30 withholding which shall be allocated for statewide accelerated
7 31 career education programs in any one fiscal year shall not
7 32 exceed $33 million. The bill provides that the department of
7 33 economic development shall maintain an annual record of tax
7 34 credits allocated and shall allocate any available credits to
7 35 community colleges in accordance with any agreements. The
8 1 bill provides that once the maximum statewide amount has been
8 2 allocated, the department shall notify all community colleges
8 3 in the state of this fact and that further credits will not be
8 4 allocated during the fiscal year.
8 5 The bill provides that the department of economic
8 6 development shall collect data related to the programs and
8 7 prepare an annual report regarding the activities of the
8 8 programs for submission to the governor and the general
8 9 assembly.
8 10 The bill provides that participants in the programs shall
8 11 be included in the customer tracking system implemented by the
8 12 department of workforce development.
8 13 The bill provides a method of allocation of moneys
8 14 appropriated by the general assembly for program capital
8 15 costs. The bill provides that the funding shall be on a
8 16 first-come, first-served basis, that a program agreement must
8 17 be in place, that the program capital cost requests must be
8 18 approved by the Iowa economic development board within 60 days
8 19 of the receipt of the request, and that employer contributions
8 20 toward program capital costs shall be certified and agreed to
8 21 in the agreement.
8 22 LSB 1816XS 78
8 23 tm/cf/24
Text: SF00134 Text: SF00136 Text: SF00100 - SF00199 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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