House File 6 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 6
BY NORDMAN, HOLT, WHEELER,
STONE, A. MEYER, COLLINS,
MOORE, JENEARY, VONDRAN,
DUNWELL, MEGGERS, FISHER,
WULF, SHIPLEY, BRADLEY,
RINKER, DEYOE, WILLS,
GUSTAFSON, MOMMSEN,
P. THOMPSON, JOHNSON,
SORENSEN, GEHLBACH,
KAUFMANN, FRY, YOUNG,
HENDERSON, WOOD, GUSTOFF,
WINDSCHITL, GRASSLEY,
BOSSMAN, and GERHOLD
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to workforce development, including
2 establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program
3 and modifying the responsibilities of the Iowa workforce
4 development board.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 84A.1B, subsection 14, unnumbered
2 paragraph 1, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
3 Create, and update as necessary at least once every five
4 years, a list of high-demand jobs statewide for purposes of
5 the future ready Iowa registered apprenticeship programs
6 created in chapter 15C, the summer youth intern pilot program
7 established under section 84A.12, the Iowa employer innovation
8 program established under section 84A.13, the future ready Iowa
9 skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program established
10 under section 261.131, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce
11 grant program established under section 261.132, the Iowa
12 workforce grant and incentive program established under section
13 261.133, and postsecondary summer classes for high school
14 students as provided under section 261E.8, subsection 8. In
15 addition to the list created by the workforce development
16 board under this subsection, each community college, in
17 consultation with regional career and technical education
18 planning partnerships, and with the approval of the board of
19 directors of the community college, may identify and maintain
20 a list of not more than five regional high-demand jobs in the
21 community college region, and shall share the lists with the
22 workforce development board. The lists submitted by community
23 colleges under the subsection may be used in that community
24 college region for purposes of programs identified under this
25 subsection. The workforce development board shall have full
26 discretion to select and prioritize statewide high-demand jobs
27 after consulting with business and education stakeholders,
28 as appropriate, and seeking public comment. The workforce
29 development board may add to the list of high-demand jobs as it
30 deems necessary. For purposes of this subsection, “high-demand
31 job” means a job in the state that the board, or a community
32 college in accordance with this subsection, has identified in
33 accordance with this subsection. In creating a list under this
34 subsection, the following criteria, at a minimum, shall apply:
35 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261.133 Iowa workforce grant and
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1 incentive program.
2 1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context
3 otherwise requires:
4 a. “Commission” means the college student aid commission.
5 b. “Eligible institution” means an institution of higher
6 learning governed by the state board of regents.
7 c. “Eligible program” means any of the following:
8 (1) A program of study or an academic major jointly approved
9 by the commission and the department of workforce development,
10 in consultation with the eligible institution, that is
11 aligned with a high-demand job designated by the workforce
12 development board pursuant to section 84A.1B, subsection 14.
13 If the workforce development board removes a high-demand
14 job from the list created under section 84A.1B, subsection
15 14, an eligible student who received a grant for a program
16 based on that high-demand job shall continue to receive the
17 grant until the eligible program is completed as long as the
18 student continuously enrolls and continues to meet all other
19 eligibility requirements.
20 (2) A teacher preparation program that leads to a bachelor’s
21 degree, or initial or intern teaching license issued under
22 chapter 272.
23 d. “Eligible student” means an Iowa resident who has
24 established financial need and who meets all of the following
25 requirements:
26 (1) Completes and submits application forms required by the
27 commission, including the free application for federal student
28 aid, by the deadline prescribed by the commission.
29 (2) Enrolls in at least three semester hours, or the
30 equivalent, in an eligible program.
31 (3) Is making satisfactory academic progress as defined by
32 the eligible institution.
33 e. “Financial need” means the difference between the
34 student’s financial resources available, including those
35 available from the student’s parents as determined by a
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1 completed parents’ confidential statement, and the student’s
2 anticipated expenses while attending an eligible institution.
3 f. “Full-time” means enrollment in at least twelve semester
4 hours or the equivalent.
5 g. “Part-time” means enrollment in at least three semester
6 hours or the equivalent but less than twelve semester hours or
7 the equivalent.
8 2. Student eligibility. An eligible institution shall
9 report promptly to the commission information requested to
10 establish or verify student eligibility.
11 3. Grant limitations —— requirements.
12 a. A full-time eligible student may receive an Iowa
13 workforce grant annually for not more than three semesters, or
14 the equivalent, or until the eligible student completes the
15 eligible program, whichever occurs first. A part-time eligible
16 student may receive the grant for not more than six semesters,
17 or the equivalent, on a prorated basis, or until the eligible
18 student completes the eligible program, whichever occurs first.
19 b. The amount of an Iowa workforce grant to a full-time
20 eligible student shall not exceed two thousand five hundred
21 dollars per semester, or the equivalent. The amount of an Iowa
22 workforce grant to a part-time eligible student shall be equal
23 to the amount that would be awarded to a full-time student
24 except that the commission shall prorate the amount based on
25 the recipient student’s semester hour or equivalent enrollment.
26 c. An Iowa workforce grant shall be awarded on an annual
27 basis, requiring reapplication by an eligible student each
28 year. Payments under the grant shall be allocated equally
29 among the semesters, or the equivalent, and paid upon
30 certification by the eligible institution that the student
31 meets the requirements of subsection 1, paragraph “d”.
32 d. If a grant recipient discontinues attendance before the
33 end of any semester, or the equivalent, after receiving grant
34 payments, the entire amount of any refund due that recipient,
35 up to the full amount of grant payments made during that
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1 semester, or the equivalent, shall be paid by the eligible
2 institution to the commission.
3 4. Annual submission of applications. To receive a renewal
4 of a grant awarded under this section, an eligible student
5 must annually submit a new application to the commission for
6 reevaluation of eligibility.
7 5. Priority for grant awards. In making awards under this
8 section, the commission shall give priority to:
9 a. Applicants who received an award under this section in
10 the prior academic year.
11 b. Applicants with the least financial ability to pay,
12 using a metric that ranks relative financial ability among all
13 applicants.
14 6. Iowa workforce incentive payment. Notwithstanding the
15 grant limitations in subsection 3, an individual who was an
16 eligible student who received an Iowa workforce grant in the
17 academic year in which the eligible program is completed, and
18 who accepts and begins employment in an aligned occupation
19 in this state within six months of completing the eligible
20 program, may apply for one incentive payment of up to two
21 thousand five hundred dollars. The incentive payment shall be
22 paid upon completion of twelve consecutive months of full-time
23 employment in the aligned occupation in this state, following
24 completion of the eligible program.
25 7. Commission’s duties and responsibilities. Subject to an
26 appropriation of moneys by the general assembly for purposes
27 of this section, the commission shall administer the Iowa
28 workforce grant and incentive program and shall do all of the
29 following:
30 a. Provide application forms for distribution to students by
31 eligible institutions.
32 b. Adopt rules under chapter 17A for administration of this
33 section, including establishing the duties and responsibilities
34 of eligible institutions under the program, defining residence
35 and satisfactory academic progress for purposes of the program,
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1 determining financial need, and establishing procedures for
2 grant and incentive payment application, processing, and
3 approval. The rules shall provide for determining the priority
4 awarding of grants and incentives if moneys available for
5 purposes of this section are insufficient to pay all eligible
6 applicants.
7 c. Approve and award grants and incentive payments on an
8 annual basis.
9 8. Fund created. An Iowa workforce grant and incentive
10 program fund is created in the state treasury under the control
11 of the commission. All moneys deposited or paid into the
12 fund are appropriated to the commission to be used for grants
13 and incentive payments awarded as provided in this section.
14 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that remain
15 unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a fiscal year shall
16 not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the
17 purposes designated. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection
18 2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited
19 to the fund.
20 EXPLANATION
21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
22 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
23 This bill relates to workforce development, including
24 establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program
25 and modifying the responsibilities of the Iowa workforce
26 development board.
27 The bill establishes the Iowa workforce grant and incentive
28 program (WGIP) within the college student aid commission
29 (commission), subject to an appropriation of moneys by the
30 general assembly. The bill provides that a full-time eligible
31 student may receive an annual grant under the WGIP for not more
32 than three semesters or until the eligible student completes
33 the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill also
34 provides that a part-time eligible student may receive an
35 annual grant under the WGIP for not more than six semesters,
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1 on a prorated basis, or until the eligible student completes
2 the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill
3 establishes that the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP
4 to a full-time eligible student shall not exceed $2,500 per
5 semester, and the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP to
6 a part-time eligible student shall be prorated based on the
7 part-time eligible student’s semester hour enrollment. The
8 bill requires eligible students to submit new applications
9 under the WGIP to the commission annually for reevaluation
10 of eligibility. The bill provides that if a grant recipient
11 discontinues attendance before the end of any semester, the
12 eligible institution is required to pay to the commission the
13 entire amount of any refund due to that recipient, up to the
14 full amount of the grant payments made during the semester.
15 When making awards under the WGIP, the bill requires the
16 commission to give priority to applicants who received an
17 award in the prior academic year and applicants with the least
18 financial ability to pay.
19 The bill provides that an individual who was an eligible
20 student who received a grant under the WGIP in the academic
21 year in which the eligible program is completed, and who
22 accepts and begins employment in an aligned occupation in this
23 state within six months of completing the eligible program,
24 may apply to the commission for one incentive payment of up to
25 $2,500. The bill establishes that the commission shall pay the
26 incentive payment upon the successful applicant’s completion of
27 12 consecutive months of employment in this state.
28 The bill establishes an Iowa workforce grant and incentive
29 program fund in the state treasury under the control of the
30 commission. The bill provides that all moneys deposited or
31 paid into the fund are appropriated to the commission to be
32 used for awarding grants and incentive payments under the WGIP.
33 The bill defines “commission”, “eligible institution”,
34 “eligible program”, “eligible student”, “financial need”,
35 “full-time”, and “part-time”.
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1 The bill requires the Iowa workforce development board to
2 update its list of high-demand jobs at least once every five
3 years. The bill also provides that this list shall be used for
4 purposes of the WGIP.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 84A.1B