Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                                                         24LSO-0164
                             STATE OF WYOMING
                             HOUSE BILL NO. HB0114
     Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment program.
     Sponsored by: Representative(s) Henderson, Allred, Berger,
                   Clouston,    Harshman,   Niemiec,   Northrup,
                   Obermueller,    Provenza and Sommers and Senator(s) Brennan, Pappas and Schuler
                                         A BILL
                                           for
 AN   ACT   relating to   education;       reauthorizing the Wyoming
 teacher shortage loan repayment program;     modifying
 eligibility requirements;          making conforming amendments;
 providing an appropriation; repealing a sunset date; and
 providing for an effective date.
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 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
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        Section 1.     W.S. 21-7-601(b)(i)(A), (B), (e), (g)(ii),
 (n) and (p)(intro) is amended to read:
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        21-7-601.    Wyoming teacher shortage loan repayment
 program;      eligibility criteria;     procedures;        program
 reporting.
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                       STATE OF WYOMING                            24LSO-0164
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        (b)   To qualify for a loan under this section, the
 applicant shall first:
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              (i)    Be enrolled in good standing in a teacher
 education program at the University of Wyoming leading to:
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                     (A)   Certification as   a special education,
 math, science or world language teacher; or
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                     (B)   Eligibility for an additional teaching
 endorsement.       to teach reading or       English as    a second
 language.
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        (e)   A    recipient of    a loan under this section may
 repay the loan without cash payment by teaching at least
 fifty percent (50%) of his working hours as a teacher in
 special education, math, science, world language, reading
 or English as a second language as a certified teacher in a
 Wyoming public school as provided in subsection (f) of this
 section.     To qualify as     repayment under this subsection,
 work shall be performed within the minimum amount of time
 necessary to repay the loan,   plus two (2)       years,   which
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                         STATE OF WYOMING                            24LSO-0164
 shall begin with the calendar month following the month in
 which the student completed the academic program.
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        (g)   Any recipient of a loan under this section who
 fails:
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              (ii)      To obtain employment in     the targeted
 occupation for which the person received the education
 within two hundred forty    (240)       days after successfully
 obtaining the appropriate certification,          shall commence
 cash repayment of the loan within two hundred eighty-five
 (285)    days after successfully obtaining the appropriate
 certification;
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        (n)   The community college commission shall annually
 review the loan program established under this section and
 report to the governor and the legislature in accordance
 with     W.S.    9-2-1014,        regarding program results,     funds
 received and loans issued during the preceding academic
 year,    together with the status of    all outstanding loan
 commitments and repayments under the program.                              The report
 required under this subsection shall include information
 submitted by    the professional teaching standards board
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                         STATE OF WYOMING                         24LSO-0164
 regarding the impact of the program on identified teacher
 shortage areas shortages and recommendations for
 modifications to the program, including funding levels, to
 address other identified teacher shortage in    targeted
 areas.
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        (p)    Notwithstanding subsection           (o)   any other
 provision of this section the law:
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        Section 2.       W.S. 21-7-601(o) is repealed.
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        Section 3.
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        (a)    There is     appropriated two million dollars
 ($2,000,000.00)         from the general fund to   the Wyoming
 community college commission for the period beginning July
 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2026.                    This appropriation shall
 be used for the loan program established by W.S. 21-7-601,
 as amended by this act, and as authorized by subsection (b)
 of this section.        This appropriation shall not be
 transferred or     expended for any other purpose and any
 unexpended,           unobligated funds remaining from this
 appropriation shall revert as provided by law on June 30,
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                          STATE OF WYOMING                       24LSO-0164
 2026.     It is    the intent of    the legislature that this
 appropriation be included in the standard budget request
 for the commission for the immediately succeeding fiscal
 biennium.
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         (b)    Not more than fifteen percent (15%) of the amount
 appropriated under this section shall be   used by   the
 Wyoming community college commission for the administration
 of this program, including expenses of the commission, loan
 administration fees and marketing costs to     advertise
 availability of the program.
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        Section      4.    This act is   effective immediately upon
 completion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law
 as provided by     Article      4,    Section    8   of the Wyoming
 Constitution.
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                                         (END)
                                             5               HB0114
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 21-7-601