Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

House File 447 - Introduced
                                  HOUSE FILE 447
                                  BY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                                  (SUCCESSOR TO HF 6)
                            A BILL FOR
An Act relating to workforce development, including
  establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program
  and modifying the responsibilities of the Iowa workforce
  development board and the state board of regents.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
                                         TLSB 1682HV (2) 90
                                         jda/jh
                                H.F. 447
    Section 1. Section 84A.1B, Code 2023, is amended by adding
 the following new subsection:
    NEW SUBSECTION. 17. Create, in collaboration with the state
 board of regents, a list of high-wage and high-demand jobs and
 corresponding academic majors offered by institutions of higher
 education governed by the state board of regents for purposes
 of the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program established
 under section 261.133. The workforce development board, in
 collaboration with the state board of regents, shall update the
 list at least once every two years. In creating a list under
 this subsection, the following criteria, at a minimum, shall
 apply:
    a. An entry-level annual salary of not less than forty
 thousand dollars.
    b. Educational attainment of a qualifying credential of
 at least a bachelor’s degree, or attainment of an initial or
 intern Iowa teaching license issued under chapter 272 through
 a pathway to licensure offered by an institution of higher
 education under the control of the state board of regents or an
 accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9.
    c. At least one of any of the following:
    (1) Projected annual job openings of at least two hundred
 fifty during the next five years.
    (2) Projected annual growth in the number of job openings
 of at least one percent.
    Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 261.133 Iowa workforce grant and
 incentive program.
    1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context
 otherwise requires:
    a. “Commission” means the college student aid commission.
    b. “Eligible institution” means an institution of higher
 learning governed by the state board of regents.
    c. “Eligible program” means any of the following:
    (1) A program of study or an academic major jointly approved
 by the workforce development board and the state board of
                                           LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                               -1-         jda/jh                1/6
                                H.F. 447
 regents pursuant to section 84A.1B, subsection 17. If a
 job is removed from the list created under section 84A.1B,
 subsection 17, an eligible student who received a grant for
 a program based on that job shall continue to receive the
 grant until the eligible program is completed as long as the
 student continuously enrolls and continues to meet all other
 eligibility requirements.
    (2) A teacher preparation program that leads to a bachelor’s
 degree, or initial or intern teaching license issued under
 chapter 272.
    d. “Eligible student” means an Iowa resident who has
 established financial need and who meets all of the following
 requirements:
    (1) Completes and submits application forms required by the
 commission, including the free application for federal student
 aid, by the deadline prescribed by the commission.
    (2) Enrolls in at least three semester hours, or the
 equivalent, in an eligible program.
    (3) Is making satisfactory academic progress as defined by
 the eligible institution.
    e. “Financial need” means the difference between the
 student’s financial resources available, including those
 available from the student’s parents as determined by a
 completed parents’ confidential statement, and the student’s
 anticipated expenses while attending an eligible institution.
    f. “Full-time” means enrollment in at least twelve semester
 hours or the equivalent.
    g. “Part-time” means enrollment in at least three semester
 hours or the equivalent but less than twelve semester hours or
 the equivalent.
    2. Student eligibility. An eligible institution shall
 report promptly to the commission information requested to
 establish or verify student eligibility.
    3. Grant limitations —— requirements.
    a. A full-time eligible student may receive an Iowa
                                           LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                               -2-         jda/jh                2/6
                                H.F. 447
 workforce grant for not more than four semesters, or the
 equivalent, or until the eligible student completes the
 eligible program, whichever occurs first. A part-time
 eligible student may receive the grant for not more than eight
 semesters, or the equivalent, on a prorated basis, or until
 the eligible student completes the eligible program, whichever
 occurs first.
    b. The amount of an Iowa workforce grant to a full-time
 eligible student shall not exceed two thousand dollars per
 semester, or the equivalent. The amount of an Iowa workforce
 grant to a part-time eligible student shall be equal to the
 amount that would be awarded to a full-time student except that
 the commission shall prorate the amount based on the recipient
 student’s semester hour or equivalent enrollment.
    c. An Iowa workforce grant shall be awarded on an annual
 basis, requiring reapplication by an eligible student each
 year. Payments under the grant shall be allocated equally
 among the semesters, or the equivalent, and paid upon
 certification by the eligible institution that the student
 meets the requirements of subsection 1, paragraph “d”.
    d. If a grant recipient discontinues attendance before the
 end of any semester, or the equivalent, after receiving grant
 payments, the entire amount of any refund due that recipient,
 up to the full amount of grant payments made during that
 semester, or the equivalent, shall be paid by the eligible
 institution to the commission.
    4. Annual submission of applications. To receive a renewal
 of a grant awarded under this section, an eligible student
 must annually submit a new application to the commission for
 reevaluation of eligibility.
    5. Priority for grant awards. In making awards under this
 section, the commission shall give priority to:
    a. Applicants who received an award under this section in
 the prior academic year.
    b. Applicants with the least financial ability to pay,
                                           LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                               -3-         jda/jh                 3/6
                                H.F. 447
 using a metric that ranks relative financial ability among all
 applicants.
    6. Iowa workforce incentive payment. Notwithstanding the
 grant limitations in subsection 3, an individual who was an
 eligible student who received an Iowa workforce grant in the
 academic year in which the eligible program is completed, and
 who accepts and begins employment in an aligned occupation
 in this state within six months of completing the eligible
 program, may apply for one incentive payment of up to two
 thousand dollars. The incentive payment shall be paid upon
 completion of twelve consecutive months of full-time employment
 in the aligned occupation in this state, following completion
 of the eligible program.
    7. Commission’s duties and responsibilities. Subject to an
 appropriation of moneys by the general assembly for purposes
 of this section, the commission shall administer the Iowa
 workforce grant and incentive program and shall do all of the
 following:
    a. Provide application forms for distribution to students by
 eligible institutions.
    b. Adopt rules under chapter 17A for administration of this
 section, including establishing the duties and responsibilities
 of eligible institutions under the program, defining residence
 and satisfactory academic progress for purposes of the program,
 determining financial need, and establishing procedures for
 grant and incentive payment application, processing, and
 approval. The rules shall provide for determining the priority
 awarding of grants and incentives if moneys available for
 purposes of this section are insufficient to pay all eligible
 applicants.
    c. Approve and award grants and incentive payments on an
 annual basis.
    8. Fund created. An Iowa workforce grant and incentive
 program fund is created in the state treasury under the control
 of the commission. All moneys deposited or paid into the
                                           LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                               -4-         jda/jh                4/6
                                         H.F. 447
  fund are appropriated to the commission to be used for grants
  and incentive payments awarded as provided in this section.
  Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys in the fund that remain
  unencumbered or unobligated at the close of a fiscal year shall
  not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the
  purposes designated. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection
  2, interest or earnings on moneys in the fund shall be credited
  to the fund.
                            EXPLANATION
         The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
          the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
    This bill relates to workforce development, including
 establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program
 and modifying the responsibilities of the Iowa workforce
 development board and the state board of regents.
    The bill establishes the Iowa workforce grant and incentive
 program (WGIP) within the college student aid commission
 (commission), subject to an appropriation of moneys by the
 general assembly. The bill provides that a full-time eligible
 student may receive an annual grant under the WGIP for not more
 than four semesters or until the eligible student completes
 the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill also
 provides that a part-time eligible student may receive an
 annual grant under the WGIP for not more than eight semesters,
 on a prorated basis, or until the eligible student completes
 the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill
 establishes that the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP
 to a full-time eligible student shall not exceed $2,000 per
 semester, and the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP to
 a part-time eligible student shall be prorated based on the
 part-time eligible student’s semester hour enrollment. The
 bill requires eligible students to submit new applications
 under the WGIP to the commission annually for reevaluation
 of eligibility. The bill provides that if a grant recipient
 discontinues attendance before the end of any semester, the
                                                        LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                                       -5-              jda/jh                      5/6
                                H.F. 447
 eligible institution is required to pay to the commission the
 entire amount of any refund due to that recipient, up to the
 full amount of the grant payments made during the semester.
    When making awards under the WGIP, the bill requires the
 commission to give priority to applicants who received an
 award in the prior academic year and applicants with the least
 financial ability to pay.
    The bill provides that an individual who was an eligible
 student who received a grant under the WGIP in the academic
 year in which the eligible program is completed, and who
 accepts and begins employment in an aligned occupation in this
 state within six months of completing the eligible program,
 may apply to the commission for one incentive payment of up to
 $2,000. The bill establishes that the commission shall pay the
 incentive payment upon the successful applicant’s completion of
 12 consecutive months of employment in this state.
    The bill establishes an Iowa workforce grant and incentive
 program fund in the state treasury under the control of the
 commission. The bill provides that all moneys deposited or
 paid into the fund are appropriated to the commission to be
 used for awarding grants and incentive payments under the WGIP.
    The bill defines “commission”, “eligible institution”,
 “eligible program”, “eligible student”, “financial need”,
 “full-time”, and “part-time”.
    The bill requires the Iowa workforce development board, in
 collaboration with the state board of regents, to create a list
 of high-wage and high-demand jobs and corresponding academic
 majors offered by institutions of higher education governed by
 the state board of regents for purposes of the WGIP. The bill
 establishes the criteria for inclusion on the list. The bill
 requires the Iowa workforce development board, in collaboration
 with the state board of regents, to update the list at least
 once every two years.
                                           LSB 1682HV (2) 90
                               -6-         jda/jh                 6/6
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 84A.1B