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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.3.
1 9 2. "Agreement" means a program agreement referred to in
1 10 section 260G.3 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 businesses
1 18 engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose
1 19 of manufacturing, processing, or assembling products,
1 20 construction, conducting research and development, or
1 21 providing services in interstate or intrastate commerce, but
1 22 excludes retail services.
1 23 7. "Highly skilled job" means a job with a broadly based,
1 24 high performance skill profile including advanced computation
1 25 and communication skills, technology skills, and workplace
1 26 behavior skills, and for which an applied technical education
1 27 is required.
1 28 8. "Participant" means an individual who is enrolled in an
1 29 accelerated career education program at a community college.
1 30 9. "Participant position" means the individual student
1 31 enrollment position available in an accelerated career
1 32 education program.
1 33 10. "Program capital costs" includes, but is not limited
1 34 to, costs related to any or all of the following:
1 35 a. Classroom and laboratory renovation.
2 1 b. New classroom and laboratory construction.
2 2 c. Site acquisition or preparation.
2 3 d. Instructional equipment and technology.
2 4 11. "Program costs" means all necessary and incidental
2 5 costs of providing program services.
2 6 12. "Program job" means a highly skilled job available
2 7 from an employer pursuant to a program agreement.
2 8 13. "Program job credit" means the credit as provided in
2 9 section 260G.5.
2 10 14. "Program job position" means a job position which is
2 11 planned or available for an employee by the employer pursuant
2 12 to a program agreement.
2 13 15. "Program services" includes, but is not limited to,
2 14 all of the following provided they are pursuant to a program
2 15 agreement:
2 16 a. Program needs assessment and development.
2 17 b. Job task analysis.
2 18 c. Curriculum development and revision.
2 19 d. Instruction.
2 20 e. Instructional materials and supplies.
2 21 f. Computer software and upgrades.
2 22 g. Instructional support.
2 23 h. Administrative and student services.
2 24 i. Related school to career training programs.
2 25 j. Skill assessment services and testing.
2 26 k. Contracted services.
2 27 Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 260G.3 PROGRAM AGREEMENTS.
2 28 1. A community college may enter into an agreement with an
2 29 employer in the community college's merged area to establish
2 30 an accelerated career education program. The program shall be
2 31 developed by an employer, a community college, and any
2 32 employee of an employer who represents a program job. If a
2 33 bargaining agreement is in place, a representative of the
2 34 employee bargaining unit shall also take part in the
2 35 development of the program.
3 1 2. An agreement may include reasonable and necessary
3 2 provisions to implement the accelerated career education
3 3 program. If an agreement is entered into, the community
3 4 college and the employer shall notify the department of
3 5 revenue and finance as soon as possible. The community
3 6 college shall also file a copy of the agreement with the
3 7 department of economic development as required in section
3 8 260G.6. The agreement shall provide for program costs,
3 9 including deferred costs, which may be paid from any of the
3 10 following sources:
3 11 a. Program job credits which the employer receives based
3 12 on the number of program job positions agreed to by the
3 13 employer to be available under an agreement.
3 14 b. Cash or in-kind contributions by the employer toward
3 15 the program cost. At a minimum, the employer contribution
3 16 shall be twenty percent of the program costs.
3 17 c. Tuition, student fees, or special charges fixed by the
3 18 board of directors to defray program costs.
3 19 d. Guarantee by the employer of payments to be received
3 20 under paragraphs "a" and "b".
3 21 3. An agreement shall include a provision which specifies
3 22 the type and amount of funding sources which shall be used to
3 23 pay for program costs.
3 24 4. An agreement shall describe program services and
3 25 schedules for implementation.
3 26 5. The term of an agreement shall not exceed five years
3 27 from the date of the agreement. However, the agreement may be
3 28 renewed.
3 29 6. As part of the agreement, the employer shall agree to
3 30 interview graduating participants for full-time positions with
3 31 the employer and to provide future hiring preferences to
3 32 graduates of the accelerated career education program provided
3 33 for in the agreement.
3 34 7. As part of an agreement, if an employer has more than
3 35 four sponsored participants in the program, the employer shall
4 1 agree to offer a program job position of full-time employment
4 2 to at least twenty-five percent of those participants who
4 3 successfully complete the program.
4 4 8. An agreement shall provide for a wage level of no less
4 5 than two hundred percent of the federal poverty level for a
4 6 family of two as defined by the most recently revised poverty
4 7 income guidelines as published by the United States department
4 8 of health and human services at the time the agreement is
4 9 entered into.
4 10 9. An agreement shall allow an employer to decline to
4 11 satisfy any provisions in the agreement relating to
4 12 subsections 6 and 7 if an employer experiences an economic
4 13 downturn. For purposes of this subsection, "economic
4 14 downturn" may include a layoff of existing employees, reduced
4 15 employment levels, increased inventories, or reduced sales, if
4 16 specified in the agreement.
4 17 10. Participants shall agree to interview with the
4 18 employer following completion of the accelerated career
4 19 education program.
4 20 Sec. 4. NEW SECTION. 260G.4 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY AND
4 21 DESIGNATION.
4 22 1. Any of the following community college programs are
4 23 eligible for designation and approval as an accelerated career
4 24 education program by the board of directors:
4 25 a. A credit career, vocational, or technical education
4 26 program resulting in the conferring of a certificate, diploma,
4 27 associate of science degree, or associate of applied science
4 28 degree, which increases program capacity to enroll added
4 29 participants.
4 30 b. A credit equivalent career, vocational, or technical
4 31 educational program consisting of not less than five hundred
4 32 forty contact hours of classroom and laboratory instruction
4 33 and resulting in the conferring of a certificate or other
4 34 recognized, competency-based credential, which increases
4 35 program capacity to enroll added participants.
5 1 2. Program costs shall be calculated or recalculated on an
5 2 annual basis based on the required program services and for a
5 3 specific number of participant positions.
5 4 Sec. 5. NEW SECTION. 260G.5 PROGRAM JOB CREDITS FROM
5 5 WITHHOLDING.
5 6 In order to develop and retain program jobs within the
5 7 state, an agreement entered into under section 260G.3 may
5 8 include a provision for program job credits based on program
5 9 jobs identified in the agreement. If a program provides that
5 10 part of the program costs are to be met by receipt of program
5 11 job credits, the method to be used shall be as follows:
5 12 1. Program job credits shall be based upon the program job
5 13 positions identified and agreed to in the agreement.
5 14 2. Eligibility for program job credits shall be based on
5 15 certification of program job positions and program job wages
5 16 by the employer at the time established in the agreement. An
5 17 amount up to twelve percent of the gross program job wage as
5 18 certified by the employer in the agreement shall be credited
5 19 from the total payment made by an employer pursuant to section
5 20 422.16. The employer shall receive a credit against all
5 21 withholding taxes due by the employer regardless of whether or
5 22 not the withholding by the employer of current program job
5 23 wages is less than twelve percent. The employer shall remit
5 24 the amount of the credit quarterly in the same manner as
5 25 withholding payments are reported to the department of revenue
5 26 and finance, to the community college to be allocated to and
5 27 when collected paid into a special fund of the community
5 28 college to pay, in part, the program costs. When the program
5 29 costs have been paid, the employer credits shall cease and any
5 30 moneys received after the program costs have been paid shall
5 31 be remitted to the treasurer of state to be deposited in the
5 32 general fund of the state.
5 33 3. The employer shall certify to the department of revenue
5 34 and finance that the program job credit is in accordance with
5 35 the agreement and shall provide other information the
6 1 department may require.
6 2 4. A community college shall certify to the department of
6 3 revenue and finance that the amount of the program job credit
6 4 is in accordance with an agreement and shall provide other
6 5 information the department may require.
6 6 5. Employees from an employer participating in an
6 7 agreement shall receive full credit for the amount withheld as
6 8 provided in section 422.16.
6 9 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 260G.6 MAXIMUM STATEWIDE PROGRAM
6 10 JOB CREDIT.
6 11 The total amount of program job credits from all employers
6 12 which shall be allocated for all accelerated career education
6 13 programs in the state in any one fiscal year shall not exceed
6 14 the sum of thirty-three million dollars. A community college
6 15 shall file a copy of each agreement with the department of
6 16 economic development. The department shall maintain an annual
6 17 record of the proposed program job credits under each
6 18 agreement for each fiscal year. Upon receiving a copy of an
6 19 agreement, the department shall allocate any available amount
6 20 of program job credits to the community college according to
6 21 the agreement sufficient for the fiscal year and for the term
6 22 of the agreement. When the total available program job
6 23 credits are allocated for a fiscal year, the department shall
6 24 notify all community colleges that the maximum amount has been
6 25 allocated and that further program job credits will not be
6 26 available for the remainder of the fiscal year. Once program
6 27 job credits have been allocated to a community college, the
6 28 full allocation shall be received by the community college
6 29 throughout the fiscal year and for the term of the agreement
6 30 even if the statewide program job credit maximum amount is
6 31 subsequently allocated and used.
6 32 Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 260G.7 FACILITATOR.
6 33 The department of economic development shall administer the
6 34 statewide allocations of program job credits to accelerated
6 35 career education programs. The department shall collect data
7 1 related to the programs and prepare an annual report regarding
7 2 the activities of the programs during the previous fiscal
7 3 year. The report shall be submitted to the governor and the
7 4 general assembly by December 31 of each year.
7 5 Sec. 8. NEW SECTION. 260G.8 CUSTOMER TRACKING SYSTEM.
7 6 All participants in an accelerated career education program
7 7 shall be included in the customer tracking system implemented
7 8 by the department of workforce development pursuant to section
7 9 84A.5 following program completion.
7 10 Sec. 9. NEW SECTION. 260G.9 PROGRAM CAPITAL FUNDS
7 11 ALLOCATION.
7 12 If moneys are appropriated by the general assembly to
7 13 support program capital costs, the moneys shall be allocated
7 14 on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to receive such
7 15 moneys a program agreement approved by the community college
7 16 board of directors must be in place, program capital cost
7 17 requests shall be approved by the Iowa economic development
7 18 board created in section 15.103, program capital cost requests
7 19 shall be approved or denied not later than sixty days
7 20 following receipt of the request by the department, and
7 21 employer contributions toward program capital costs shall be
7 22 certified and agreed to in the agreement.
7 23 EXPLANATION
7 24 This bill provides that a community college may enter into
7 25 an agreement with certain employers in the community college's
7 26 merged area to establish an accelerated career education
7 27 program. The bill provides that the program shall be
7 28 developed by an employer, a community college, and any
7 29 employee of an employer who represents a program job, and if a
7 30 bargaining agreement is in place, a representative of the
7 31 employee bargaining unit.
7 32 The bill provides that certain types of community college
7 33 programs are eligible for designation as an accelerated career
7 34 education program. The bill provides that, after entering the
7 35 agreement, the department of revenue and finance and the
8 1 department of economic development shall be notified of the
8 2 agreement.
8 3 The bill provides that the agreement shall specify the type
8 4 and amount of funding sources which will be used to pay for
8 5 the program costs. The bill provides that possible funding
8 6 sources include tax credits from withholding, cash or in-kind
8 7 contributions by the employer, and tuition, fees, or special
8 8 charges fixed by the community college.
8 9 The bill provides that as part of the agreement, the
8 10 employer shall agree to interview graduating participants in
8 11 the program and provide future hiring preferences. The bill
8 12 provides that as part of an agreement, if an employer has more
8 13 than four sponsored participants in the program, the employer
8 14 shall agree to offer a program job position to at least 25
8 15 percent of those participants who successfully complete the
8 16 program. The bill provides that an agreement may allow for an
8 17 employer to decline to satisfy job guarantee provisions of the
8 18 bill if the employer experiences an economic downturn. The
8 19 bill provides that an agreement shall provide for a wage level
8 20 of no less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level for a
8 21 family of two. The bill provides that participants in the
8 22 program shall agree to interview with the employer.
8 23 The bill provides that the method for using the tax credit
8 24 from withholding, which is one option for paying for the
8 25 program costs. The bill provides that an amount up to 12
8 26 percent of the gross wages of the program jobs in an agreement
8 27 shall be credited from the total payment made by the employer.
8 28 The credit shall be against all withholding taxes due by the
8 29 employer. The bill provides that the employer and community
8 30 college must make certain certifications to the department of
8 31 revenue and finance regarding how the credits are in
8 32 accordance with the program agreement.
8 33 The bill provides that the total amount of tax credits from
8 34 withholding which shall be allocated for statewide accelerated
8 35 career education programs in any one fiscal year shall not
9 1 exceed $33 million. The bill provides that the department of
9 2 economic development shall maintain an annual record of tax
9 3 credits allocated and shall allocate any available credits to
9 4 community colleges in accordance with any agreements. The
9 5 bill provides that once the maximum statewide amount has been
9 6 allocated, the department shall notify all community colleges
9 7 in the state of this fact and that further credits will not be
9 8 allocated during the fiscal year.
9 9 The bill provides that the department of economic
9 10 development shall collect data related to the programs and
9 11 prepare an annual report regarding the activities of the
9 12 programs for submission to the governor and the general
9 13 assembly. The bill provides that participants in the programs
9 14 shall be included in the customer tracking system implemented
9 15 by the department of workforce development.
9 16 The bill provides a method of allocation of moneys
9 17 appropriated by the general assembly for program capital
9 18 costs. The bill provides that the funding shall be on a
9 19 first-come, first-served basis, that a program agreement must
9 20 be in place, that the program capital cost requests must be
9 21 approved by the Iowa economic development board within 60 days
9 22 of the receipt of the request, and that employer contributions
9 23 toward program capital costs shall be certified and agreed to
9 24 in the agreement.
9 25 LSB 1816SV 78
9 26 tm/cf/24
Text: SF00410 Text: SF00412 Text: SF00400 - SF00499 Text: SF Index Bills and Amendments: General Index Bill History: General Index
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