SB163: Bill Text

LRB-2400/1

MDK&ARG:emw/eev/kjf:rs

2015 - 2016 LEGISLATURE

2015 Senate BILL 163

May 14, 2015 - Introduced by Senators Lassa, Carpenter, Harris Dodd and Ringhand, cosponsored by Representatives Doyle, Barca, Goyke, Sargent, Pope, Zamarripa, Kolste, Jorgensen, Hebl, Spreitzer, Milroy, Sinicki, Hesselbein, Kahl, Mason, Wachs, Subeck, Berceau, Considine, Ohnstad, Shankland, Billings and Bowen. Referred to Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges.

SB163,1,4 An Act to amend 38.28 (1m) (a) 1.; and to create 20.292 (1) (aj), 20.292 (1) (fd), 20.292 (1) (fh), 20.292 (1) (fj), 38.04 (33), 38.04 (34), 38.04 (35) and 38.39 of the statutes; relating to: grants to technical college district boards and technical college faculty, staff, and students and making appropriations.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill allows a technical college district board (district board) to obtain grants from the Technical College System (TCS) Board for the purpose of partnering with a business, consortium of businesses, economic development organization, or local workforce investment board in a project to help meet local needs for supporting economic sectors with a documented skills gap or high workforce shortage, including manufacturing, energy, information technology, skilled trades, and health care. A project may provide for activities that address development of individuals prior to entering the workforce and workforce training, including any of the following: 1) job training scholarships based on local labor market needs; 2) building or infrastructure construction; 3) equipment and material purchases; 4) faculty hiring; 5) development of certain curricula; or 6) student career support services, including job placement and business recruitment. The bill directs the TCS Board to award grants to district boards that apply to the TCS Board to fund the costs of such projects. In awarding the grants, the bill requires the TCS Board to consider the speed by which the activities specified in applications could meet training and employment needs and give a preference to projects that seek to eliminate waiting lists for courses pertaining to jobs with high employment demand.

The bill also creates three other types of grants awarded by the TCS Board. Under the bill, the TCS Board must award all of the following grants:

1. Dual enrollment opportunity grants to district boards to expand dual enrollment programs (which provide high school students with the opportunity to simultaneously gain high school and technical college credits) or create new dual enrollment programs, but these grants are awarded only until June 30, 2017.

2. Innovation grants to technical college faculty, staff, and students to assist them in commercializing and bringing to market innovative technology, products, and processes developed at technical colleges.

3. Veterans success grants to district boards to expand existing efforts and implement additional strategies to assist veterans in a successful transition to college and careers, but these grants are awarded only until June 30, 2019.

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:

SB163,1 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

SB163,2 Section 2. 20.292 (1) (aj) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,2,5 20.292 (1) (aj) Workforce growth program. The amounts in the schedule for grants to technical college district boards under s. 38.39.

SB163,3 Section 3. 20.292 (1) (fd) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,3 20.292 (1) (fd) Dual enrollment opportunity grants. The amounts in the schedule for grants to technical college district boards under s. 38.04 (33). No moneys may be encumbered under this paragraph after June 30, 2017.

SB163,4 Section 4. 20.292 (1) (fh) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,6 20.292 (1) (fh) Innovation grants. The amounts in the schedule for grants to technical college faculty, staff, and students under s. 38.04 (34).

SB163,5 Section 5. 20.292 (1) (fj) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,10 20.292 (1) (fj) Veterans success grants. The amounts in the schedule for grants to technical college district boards under s. 38.04 (35). No moneys may be encumbered under this paragraph after June 30, 2019.

SB163,6 Section 6. 38.04 (33) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,13 38.04 (33) Dual enrollment opportunity grants. (a) In this subsection, "dual enrollment programs" has the meaning given in s. 38.28 (1m) (am).

SB163,3,17 (b) From the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (fd), the board shall award grants to district boards to expand dual enrollment programs or create new dual enrollment programs. No grant may be awarded under this paragraph after June 30, 2017.

SB163,7 Section 7. 38.04 (34) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,22 38.04 (34) Innovation grants. From the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (fh), the board shall award grants to technical college faculty, staff, and students to assist such persons in commercializing and bringing to market innovative technology, products, and processes developed at technical colleges.

SB163,8 Section 8. 38.04 (35) of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,3,25 38.04 (35) Veterans success grants. (a) In this subsection, "veteran" has the meaning given in s. 38.24 (8) (a) 1r.

SB163,4,4 (b) From the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (fj), the board shall award grants to district boards to expand existing efforts and implement additional strategies to assist veterans in a successful transition to college and careers. No grants may be awarded under this subsection after June 30, 2019.

SB163,9 Section 9. 38.28 (1m) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB163,4,14 38.28 (1m) (a) 1. "District aidable cost" means the annual cost of operating a technical college district, including debt service charges for district bonds and promissory notes for building programs or capital equipment, but excluding all expenditures relating to auxiliary enterprises and community service programs, all expenditures funded by or reimbursed with federal revenues, all receipts under ss. 38.04 (33), (34), and (35), 38.12 (9), 38.14 (3) and (9), 38.39, 118.15 (2) (a), and 118.55 (7r), all receipts from grants awarded under ss. 38.04 (8), (28), and (31), 38.14 (11), 38.26, 38.27, 38.33, and 38.38, all fees collected under s. 38.24, and driver education and chauffeur training aids.

SB163,10 Section 10. 38.39 of the statutes is created to read:

SB163,4,25 38.39 Workforce growth program. (1) A district board may obtain grants under sub. (2) for the purpose of partnering with a business, consortium of businesses, local workforce investment board established under 29 USC 2832, or economic development organization that is located or provides service in the district, in a project to help meet local needs for supporting sectors of the economy with a documented skills gap or high workforce shortage, which could include manufacturing, energy, information technology, skilled trades, and health care. A project may provide for activities that address development of individuals prior to entering the workforce and workforce training, which could include one or more of the following:

SB163,5,1 (a) Job training scholarships based on local labor market needs.

SB163,5,2 (b) Building or infrastructure construction.

SB163,5,3 (c) Equipment and material purchases.

SB163,5,4 (d) Faculty hiring.

SB163,5,6 (e) Development in partnership with industry of curricula, based on industry standards, that lead to certificates or degrees.

SB163,5,8 (f) Student career support services, including job placement and business recruitment.

SB163,5,14 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.292 (1) (aj), the board shall award grants to district boards that apply to the board to fund the costs of projects under sub. (1). The board shall consider the speed by which the activities specified in applications could meet training and employment needs and give a preference in awarding the grants to projects that seek to eliminate waiting lists for courses pertaining to jobs with high employment demand.

SB163,11 Section 11. Effective date.

SB163,5,17 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2015-17 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB163,5,18 (End)