House File 2699 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH
(SUCCESSOR TO HSB 732)
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act creating a mathematics and science teacher practical
2 experience incentive program and providing for a tax credit
3 from withholding.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 6522HV 81
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 272.34 MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE
1 2 TEACHER PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE INCENTIVE PROGRAM == CREDIT FROM
1 3 WITHHOLDING.
1 4 1. A mathematics and science teacher practical experience
1 5 incentive program is established to provide a mathematics or
1 6 science teacher with an opportunity to gain practical work or
1 7 research experience through on=site employment with a
1 8 business, industry, university, or state agency. The purpose
1 9 of the program is to enhance the teacher's skills, give the
1 10 teacher a better understanding of career opportunities in the
1 11 field for students, create enthusiasm which motivates the
1 12 teacher's students to pursue a postsecondary education and
1 13 career in the fields of mathematics and science, and permit
1 14 the teacher to bring the experience of working with the latest
1 15 technologies back to the classroom.
1 16 2. A teacher who is employed under an employment agreement
1 17 with an eligible entity or a state university or agency for
1 18 not less than two hundred forty hours during an eight=week
1 19 period shall be credited with earning, at a minimum, eighty
1 20 percent of the renewal units required for renewal of a license
1 21 issued by the board of educational examiners under this
1 22 chapter. In computing the renewal credit, fractions shall be
1 23 rounded up to the next higher whole number.
1 24 3. a. An eligible entity that meets the following
1 25 criteria shall be entitled to a tax credit equal to an amount
1 26 of twenty=five percent of the gross wages paid under the
1 27 program to the teacher:
1 28 (1) Enters into an employment agreement with a teacher for
1 29 the period specified in subsection 2.
1 30 (2) Employs the teacher in a position on=site that
1 31 provides substantial practical experience in the mathematics
1 32 or science subject area in which the teacher holds an
1 33 endorsement and is employed to teach.
1 34 (3) Pays the teacher an amount monthly that is at least
1 35 equivalent to the teacher's monthly pay in the employ of the
2 1 school district, accredited nonpublic school, or community
2 2 college. However, the eligible entity may pay the teacher on
2 3 a biweekly or weekly pay period basis.
2 4 b. The eligible entity shall receive the credit against
2 5 all withholding taxes due by the eligible entity on wages paid
2 6 to the teacher under the program. If the amount of the
2 7 withholding is less than twenty=five percent of the gross
2 8 wages paid, the eligible entity shall receive a credit against
2 9 other withholding taxes due.
2 10 c. The eligible entity shall certify to the department of
2 11 revenue that the program credit is in accordance with the
2 12 agreement and shall provide other information the department
2 13 may require.
2 14 d. A teacher under an agreement with an eligible entity
2 15 pursuant to this section shall receive full credit for the
2 16 amount withheld as provided in section 422.16.
2 17 4. For purposes of this section, unless the context
2 18 otherwise requires:
2 19 a. "Eligible entity" means a business or consortium of
2 20 businesses engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce and
2 21 which substantially utilizes mathematics or science for the
2 22 purpose of designing, engineering, manufacturing, processing,
2 23 or assembling products, construction, conducting research and
2 24 development, or providing services in interstate or intrastate
2 25 commerce, but excludes a business engaged in retail services.
2 26 b. "State university or agency" means an institution of
2 27 higher education governed by the state board of regents or any
2 28 state agency.
2 29 c. "Teacher" means an individual who is a resident of
2 30 Iowa; has been employed full=time as a teacher for a school
2 31 district, accredited nonpublic school, or community college in
2 32 Iowa for at least one year; is licensed and endorsed to teach
2 33 mathematics or science at the secondary level by the board of
2 34 educational examiners under this chapter; and is currently
2 35 employed in Iowa by a school district, accredited nonpublic
3 1 school, or community college to teach mathematics or science
3 2 at the secondary school level for more than sixty=six percent
3 3 of their contracted time.
3 4 EXPLANATION
3 5 This bill establishes a mathematics and science teacher
3 6 practical experience incentive program to provide a
3 7 mathematics or science teacher with an opportunity to gain
3 8 practical work or research experience through on=site
3 9 employment with a business, industry, university, or state
3 10 agency.
3 11 The board of educational examiners shall credit a teacher
3 12 who is employed under the program by a business, a consortium
3 13 of businesses, a state university, or a state agency, for not
3 14 less than 240 hours during an eight=week period, with earning
3 15 80 percent of the renewal units required for renewal of a
3 16 license issued by the board. In computing the renewal credit,
3 17 fractions shall be rounded up to the next higher whole number.
3 18 The bill defines "teacher" to include a resident of Iowa who
3 19 has been employed full=time as a teacher for a school
3 20 district, accredited nonpublic school, or community college in
3 21 Iowa for at least one year; is licensed and endorsed to teach
3 22 mathematics or science at the secondary level; and is
3 23 currently employed by a school district, school, or community
3 24 college to teach mathematics or science at the secondary
3 25 school level for more than 66 percent of their contracted
3 26 time.
3 27 A business or consortium of businesses that enters into an
3 28 agreement with a mathematics and science teacher, that employs
3 29 the teacher in a position on=site that provides substantial
3 30 practical experience in the teacher's subject area, and that
3 31 pays the teacher an amount that is at least equivalent to the
3 32 amount the teacher is paid for the equivalent time period by a
3 33 school district, accredited nonpublic school, or community
3 34 college shall be credited for an amount equal to 25 percent of
3 35 the gross wage paid under the program from the total
4 1 withholding payment made by the eligible entity.
4 2 The eligible entity shall receive a credit against all
4 3 withholding taxes due by the eligible entity regardless of
4 4 whether or not the withholding from the eligible entity of
4 5 current program wages equals 25 percent.
4 6 Teachers under an agreement with an eligible entity shall
4 7 receive full credit for the amount withheld.
4 8 The bill defines "eligible entity" as a business or
4 9 consortium of businesses engaged in interstate or intrastate
4 10 commerce and which substantially utilizes mathematics or
4 11 science for the purpose of designing, engineering,
4 12 manufacturing, processing, or assembling products,
4 13 construction, conducting research and development, or
4 14 providing services in interstate or intrastate commerce, but
4 15 excludes businesses engaging in retail services.
4 16 LSB 6522HV 81
4 17 kh:nh/je/5