Senate Bill sb1622

    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1622

    By Senator King





    8-857-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to workforce development;

  3         amending s. 239.514, F.S., relating to the

  4         Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive

  5         Grant Program; providing additional purposes

  6         for a grant awarded under the program;

  7         authorizing the use of program funds to upgrade

  8         and expand workforce development programs to

  9         meet provisions required by law; authorizing

10         use of grant funds for recurring instructional

11         costs upon approval of the Postsecondary

12         Education Planning Commission; providing an

13         effective date.

14

15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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17         Section 1.  Section 239.514, Florida Statutes, is

18  amended to read:

19         239.514  Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive

20  Grant Program.--The Legislature recognizes that the need for

21  school districts and community colleges to be able to respond

22  to emerging local or statewide economic development needs is

23  critical to the workforce development system. The Workforce

24  Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created

25  to provide grants to school districts and community colleges

26  on a competitive basis to fund some or all of the costs

27  associated with bringing workforce development programs into

28  conformance with industry standards and the creation or

29  expansion of workforce development programs that serve

30  specific employment workforce needs.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1622
    8-857-01




  1         (1)  Funds awarded for a workforce development

  2  capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional

  3  equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student

  4  services, or other expenses associated with:

  5         (a)  Upgrading workforce development programs to meet

  6  the program standards specified in s. 239.229(2)(c)4., and

  7  developed as a result of the 3-year review cycle specified in

  8  s. 240.312. Grant funds may not be used for recurring

  9  instructional costs or for indirect costs of an institution.

10         (b)  Creating or expanding the workforce development

11  program identified by the High Skills/High Wages committee of

12  the regional workforce board as being critical to business

13  retention, expansion, and recruitment as specified in s.

14  445.007(7). the creation or expansion of a workforce

15  development program. Expansion of a program may include either

16  the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion into

17  new areas of specialization within a program. No Grant funds

18  may not be used for recurring instructional costs or for

19  institutions' indirect costs. Grant funds may be used for

20  recurring instructional costs if approved by the Postsecondary

21  Education Planning Commission.

22         (2)  The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission

23  shall accept applications from school districts or community

24  colleges for workforce development capitalization incentive

25  grants. Applications from school districts or community

26  colleges shall contain projected enrollments and projected

27  costs for the new or expanded workforce development program.

28  The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, in

29  consultation with the Jobs and Education Partnership, the

30  Department of Education, and the State Board of Community

31  Colleges, shall review and rank each application for a grant

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    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 1622
    8-857-01




  1  according to subsection (3) and shall submit to the

  2  Legislature a list in priority order of applications

  3  recommended for a grant award.

  4         (3)  The commission shall give highest priority to

  5  programs that train people to enter high-skill, high-wage

  6  occupations identified by the Workforce Estimating Conference

  7  and other programs approved by Workforce Florida, Inc.;

  8  programs that train people to enter occupations under the

  9  welfare transition program; or programs that train for the

10  workforce adults who are eligible for public assistance,

11  economically disadvantaged, disabled, not proficient in

12  English, or dislocated workers. The commission shall consider

13  the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in ranking

14  the applications and shall give priority to applications from

15  education agencies that are making maximum use of their

16  workforce development funding by offering high-performing,

17  high-demand programs.

18         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

19  law.

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22                          SENATE SUMMARY

23    Revises requirements of the Workforce Development
      Capitalization Incentive Grant Program to authorize the
24    use of program funds to upgrade and expand specified
      workforce development programs. Authorizes the use of
25    grant funds for recurring instructional costs if approved
      by the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission.
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