AB399: Bill Text

2013 - 2014 LEGISLATURE

2013 Assembly BILL 399

October 1, 2013 - Introduced by Representatives Petryk, Stone, Born, Schraa, Jagler, Marklein, Ballweg, Krug, Kestell, Kleefisch, Nass, T. Larson, Weatherston, Nygren, Tauchen, LeMahieu, Pridemore, Tranel, Loudenbeck, Bies, Endsley and A. Ott, cosponsored by Senators Gudex, Grothman, Darling, Lehman, Leibham, Schultz, Lassa and Cowles. Referred to Committee on Workforce Development.

AB399,1,2 An Act to create 20.255 (2) (ct) and 115.367 of the statutes; relating to: career and technical education incentive grants and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill establishes a grant program to promote career and technical education programs in school districts that operate high school grades. Under the bill, the Department of Public Instruction (department) must annually confer with the Department of Workforce Development and the Wisconsin Technical College System to identify industries and occupations that face workforce shortages or shortages of adequately trained, entry-level workers. The bill requires the department to approve industry-recognized certification programs that will address the workforce shortages in the identified industries and occupations. The bill also requires the department to award grants of $1,000 per pupil to school districts for each pupil in the school district who completes an approved, industry-recognized certification program and who graduates from a high school in the school district. The bill allocates $3 million to the grant program, and grants will become available beginning in the 2014-15 school year.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB399,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB399,2 Section 2. 20.255 (2) (ct) of the statutes is created to read:

AB399,2,5 20.255 (2) (ct) Career and technical education incentive grants. The amounts in the schedule for grants to school districts under s. 115.367.

AB399,3 Section 3. 115.367 of the statutes is created to read:

AB399,2,8 115.367 Career and technical education incentive grants. The state superintendent shall:

AB399,2,14 (1) Annually confer with the department of workforce development and the Wisconsin technical college system to identify industries and occupations within this state that face workforce shortages or shortages of adequately trained, entry-level workers. The state superintendent shall annually notify school districts of the identified industries and occupations and make this information available on the Internet site of the department of public instruction.

AB399,2,16 (2) Approve industry-recognized certification programs that satisfy all of the following:

AB399,2,18 (a) The industry-recognized certification program is designed to mitigate workforce shortages in any of the industries or occupations identified under sub. (1).

AB399,3,2 (b) The industry-recognized certification program is a component of a school district's technical education program as provided under s. 118.33 (1) (g) 1. c. and 2.

AB399,3,7 (3) (a) Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, from the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ct), annually award incentive grants to school districts in the amount of $1,000 per pupil for each pupil in the school district who, in the prior school year, obtained a high school diploma or a technical education high school diploma from a school in the school district, if all of the following apply:

AB399,3,9 1. The school district has an industry-recognized certification program approved under sub. (2).

AB399,3,11 2. The pupil successfully completed the industry-recognized certification program under subd. 1.

AB399,3,14 (b) If the appropriation under s. 20.255 (2) (ct) in any fiscal year is insufficient to pay the full amount under par. (a), the department shall prorate the amount of its payments among school districts eligible for an incentive grant under this section.

AB399,3,15 (End)