House File 293 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE 293
BY WILLS
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to programs offered by community colleges that
2 duplicate existing programs provided by private educational
3 institutions or vocational institutions offering a career
4 and technical education program.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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1 Section 1. Section 260C.14, subsection 1, Code 2023, is
2 amended to read as follows:
3 1. Determine the curriculum to be offered in such school or
4 college subject to approval of the director and ensure that all
5 career and technical education offerings are competency-based,
6 provide any minimum competencies required by the department of
7 education, comply with any applicable requirements in chapter
8 258, and are articulated with local school district career
9 and technical education programs. If an existing private
10 educational institution or an existing vocational institution
11 offering a career and technical education program within the
12 merged area has facilities and curriculum of adequate size and
13 quality which would duplicate the functions of the area school,
14 the board of directors shall discuss with the institution the
15 possibility of entering into contracts to have the existing
16 institution offer facilities and curriculum to students of the
17 merged area not duplicate an existing program provided by the
18 private educational institution or the vocational institution.
19 The board of directors shall consider any proposals submitted
20 by the private institution for providing such facilities
21 and curriculum. The board of directors may enter into such
22 contracts. In approving curriculum, the director shall
23 ascertain that all courses and programs submitted for approval
24 are needed and that the curriculum being offered by an area
25 school does not duplicate programs provided by existing
26 public or private facilities in the area. In determining
27 whether duplication would actually exist, the director shall
28 consider the needs of the area and consider whether the
29 proposed programs are competitive as to size, quality, tuition,
30 purposes, and area coverage with existing public and private
31 educational or vocational institutions within the merged
32 area. If the board of directors of the merged area chooses
33 not to enter into contracts with private institutions under
34 this subsection, the board shall submit a list of reasons why
35 contracts to avoid duplication were not entered into and an
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1 economic impact statement relating to the board’s decision.
2 EXPLANATION
3 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
4 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
5 This bill relates to programs offered by community
6 colleges that duplicate existing programs provided by private
7 educational institutions or vocational institutions offering a
8 career and technical education program.
9 Current law provides that if an existing private educational
10 institution or an existing vocational institution offering
11 a career and technical education program within a community
12 college’s area has facilities and curriculum of adequate size
13 and quality that would duplicate the functions of the community
14 college, the board of directors of the community college is
15 required to discuss with the institution the possibility of
16 entering into contracts to have the existing institution offer
17 facilities and curriculum to students of the community college.
18 Current law also provides that if the board elects not to
19 enter into such contracts, the board is required to submit a
20 list of reasons why contracts to avoid duplication were not
21 entered into and an economic impact statement. Current law
22 establishes standards the members of the board are required to
23 consider when determining whether such duplication exists. The
24 bill strikes these provisions. The bill provides that if an
25 institution has facilities and curriculum of adequate size and
26 quality that would duplicate the functions of the community
27 college, the board shall not duplicate an existing program
28 provided by the institution.
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