HF 369 (LSB 1062HV (1) 91)

HOUSE FILE 369

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 33)

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing an agriculture education grant program within the department of education and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  256.20  Agriculture education grant program.
   1.  As used in this section:
   a.  “Agriculture education program” means all of the following:
   (1)  Instructional programs provided by school districts to students enrolled in grades nine through twelve under section 256.11, subsection 5, paragraph “h”, subparagraph (1), subparagraph division (a).
   (2)  Programs for career and technical education in agriculture technology provided by school districts to students under section 280.20.
   b.  “Personal services costs” means the costs associated with a school district employing a teacher for a maximum of sixty days of additional instruction outside of the teacher’s regularly scheduled teaching duties to provide instruction in an agriculture education program.
   2.  The department shall establish an agriculture education grant program to expand student access to instruction related to agriculture, food, and natural resources.
   3.  A school district may apply to the department for grants under this section to offset the personal services costs associated with employing teachers to provide instruction in an agriculture education program. The maximum annual amount of a grant the department may award to a school district under this section shall not exceed:
   a.  One hundred percent of the personal services costs associated with a teacher providing instruction in an agriculture education program if the school district’s agriculture education program has existed for less than ten consecutive years. 
   b.  Fifty percent of the personal services cost associated with a teacher providing instruction in an agriculture education program for all other programs.
   4.  Moneys awarded under this section shall be used to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district for similar purposes.
   5.  The department shall develop and make available to school districts a statewide system to track the time teachers devote to instruction facilitated by grants provided under this section.
   6.  An agriculture education grant program fund is established in the state treasury. The fund shall be administered by the department and shall consist of moneys appropriated by the general assembly and any other moneys received by the department for deposit in the fund. The moneys in the fund are appropriated to the department for the agriculture education grant program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund of the state but shall remain available for expenditure for the agriculture education grant program for subsequent fiscal years. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited to the fund.
   7.  The state board shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A to administer this section, including rules related to grant application materials, eligibility requirements, and award criteria.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill establishes an agriculture education grant program within the department of education (DE) to expand student access to instruction related to agriculture, food, and natural resources.
   The bill defines “agriculture education program” as instructional programs provided by school districts to students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in the agriculture, food, and natural resources portion of the career and technical education instruction and programs provided by school districts under Code section 280.20 (career and technical agriculture education), and “personal services costs” as the costs associated with a school district employing a teacher for a maximum of 60 days of additional instruction outside of the teacher’s regularly scheduled teaching duties to provide instruction in an agriculture education program.
   The bill authorizes school districts to apply to DE for grants under the program to offset the personal services costs associated with employing teachers to provide instruction in an agriculture education program. The department of education may award a grant to a school district under the program totaling 100 percent of the teacher’s personal services costs if the school district’s agriculture education program has existed for less than 10 consecutive years and totaling 50 percent of the teacher’s personal services costs for all other programs. School districts must use these moneys to supplement, not supplant, existing public funding used by a school district for similar purposes. The bill establishes an agriculture education grant program fund in the state treasury.
   The bill requires DE to develop and make available to school districts a statewide system to track the time teachers devote to instruction facilitated by grants provided under the program.
   The bill requires the state board of education to adopt rules to administer the program.