Senate File 2259 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY RAGAN and GASKILL Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act providing for the establishment of a community college 2 tuition assistance pilot program for employees of health care 3 facilities serving adults with mental illness or mental 4 retardation. 5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 6 TLSB 5800SS 82 7 kh/nh/24 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. TUITION ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS SERVING 1 2 INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES == PILOT PROGRAM. 1 3 1. If the general assembly appropriates moneys for the 1 4 establishment of a tuition assistance pilot program for 1 5 employees of health care facilities serving adults with mental 1 6 illness or mental retardation, the department of education, in 1 7 consultation with the department of human services and the 1 8 north Iowa area community college, shall establish such a 1 9 pilot program to provide a grant to a community college for 1 10 purposes of awarding tuition assistance to individuals 1 11 employed by health care facilities who provide services to 1 12 adults with mental illness or mental retardation. 1 13 2. Within the limits set by the appropriation for this 1 14 purpose, the departments of education and human services shall 1 15 work collaboratively to develop a system for determining the 1 16 number of hours a student shall work in a health care facility 1 17 in return for a percentage reduction in the student's tuition 1 18 costs. 1 19 3. A participating community college shall enter into an 1 20 agreement with one or more participating health care 1 21 facilities, and may also enter into an agreement with one or 1 22 more local nonprofit public agencies, to match state funds 1 23 provided on a dollar=for=dollar basis for tuition assistance 1 24 for an eligible student who is employed by a participating 1 25 health care facility to provide services to adults with mental 1 26 illness or mental retardation. A participating health care 1 27 facility shall agree to provide the community college with the 1 28 number of hours the student has accrued in order that the 1 29 community college may determine the percentage reduction in 1 30 the student's tuition costs. 1 31 4. The grant recipient shall compile and submit 1 32 information regarding the program's implementation and level 1 33 of local participation in the program in the manner prescribed 1 34 by the department. The department shall summarize the 1 35 information and shall submit the information and its findings 2 1 and recommendations in a report to the general assembly by 2 2 January 15 of the fiscal year following the completion of the 2 3 pilot program. 2 4 5. For purposes of this section, unless the context 2 5 otherwise requires: 2 6 a. "Eligible student" means an individual who is a 2 7 resident of Iowa, enrolled in a community college, and 2 8 employed by a participating health care facility to serve 2 9 adults with mental illness or mental retardation. 2 10 b. "Health care facility" means as defined in section 2 11 135C.1. 2 12 c. "Participating health care facility" means a health 2 13 care facility that has entered into an agreement with a 2 14 community college in accordance with this section and which 2 15 employs an eligible student. 2 16 EXPLANATION 2 17 This bill provides if the general assembly appropriates 2 18 moneys for the purpose of the establishment by the department 2 19 of education, in consultation with the department of human 2 20 services and the north Iowa area community college, of a 2 21 tuition assistance pilot program to provide a grant to a 2 22 community college for purposes of awarding tuition assistance 2 23 to residents of Iowa who are students enrolled in the 2 24 community college and who are employed by a health care 2 25 facility to provide services to adults with mental illness or 2 26 mental retardation. 2 27 The departments of education and human services are 2 28 directed to work collaboratively to develop a system for 2 29 determining the number of hours a student shall work in a 2 30 health care facility in return for a percentage reduction in 2 31 the student's tuition costs within the limits set by the 2 32 appropriation for this purpose. 2 33 A participating community college must enter into an 2 34 agreement with one or more participating health care 2 35 facilities, and may also enter into an agreement with one or 3 1 more local nonprofit public agencies, to match state funds 3 2 provided on a $1=for=$1 basis for tuition assistance for 3 3 eligible students. A participating health care facility must 3 4 agree to provide the community college with the number of 3 5 hours the student has accrued in order that the community 3 6 college may determine the percentage reduction in the 3 7 student's tuition costs. 3 8 The grant recipient must compile and submit information 3 9 regarding the program's implementation and level of local 3 10 participation in the program in the manner prescribed by the 3 11 department. The department must summarize the information and 3 12 shall submit the information and its findings and 3 13 recommendations in a report to the general assembly. 3 14 LSB 5800SS 82 3 15 kh/nh/24