Senate Bill sb1622c1

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1622

    By the Committee on Commerce and Economic Opportunities; and
    Senator King




    310-1727-01

  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; replacing

13         obsolete reference to Jobs and Education

14         Partnership with reference to Workforce

15         Florida, Inc.; amending s. 239.213, F.S.;

16         revising provisions relating to

17         vocational-preparatory instruction; changing

18         the date for the submission of a report;

19         providing an effective date.

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

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23         Section 1.  Section 239.514, Florida Statutes, is

24  amended to read:

25         239.514  Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive

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

27  school districts and community colleges to be able to respond

28  to emerging local or statewide economic development needs is

29  critical to the workforce development system. The Workforce

30  Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program is created

31  to provide grants to school districts and community colleges

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1622
    310-1727-01




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

  2  associated with bringing workforce development programs into

  3  conformance with industry standards and the creation or

  4  expansion of workforce development programs that serve

  5  specific employment workforce needs.

  6         (1)  Funds awarded for a workforce development

  7  capitalization incentive grant may be used for instructional

  8  equipment, laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, student

  9  services, or other expenses associated with:

10         (a)  Upgrading workforce development programs to meet

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

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

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

14  instructional costs or for indirect costs of an institution.

15         (b)  Creating or expanding the workforce development

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

17  the regional workforce board as being critical to business

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

19  445.007(7). the creation or expansion of a workforce

20  development program. Expansion of a program may include either

21  the expansion of enrollments in a program or expansion into

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

23  may not be used for recurring instructional costs or for

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

25  recurring instructional costs if approved by the Postsecondary

26  Education Planning Commission.

27         (2)  The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission

28  shall accept applications from school districts or community

29  colleges for workforce development capitalization incentive

30  grants. Applications from school districts or community

31  colleges shall contain projected enrollments and projected

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1622
    310-1727-01




  1  costs for the new or expanded workforce development program.

  2  The Postsecondary Education Planning Commission, in

  3  consultation with Workforce Florida, Inc., the Jobs and

  4  Education Partnership, the Department of Education, and the

  5  State Board of Community Colleges, shall review and rank each

  6  application for a grant according to subsection (3) and shall

  7  submit to the Legislature a list in priority order of

  8  applications recommended for a grant award.

  9         (3)  The commission shall give highest priority to

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

11  occupations identified by the Workforce Estimating Conference

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

13  programs that train people to enter occupations under the

14  welfare transition program; or programs that train for the

15  workforce adults who are eligible for public assistance,

16  economically disadvantaged, disabled, not proficient in

17  English, or dislocated workers. The commission shall consider

18  the statewide geographic dispersion of grant funds in ranking

19  the applications and shall give priority to applications from

20  education agencies that are making maximum use of their

21  workforce development funding by offering high-performing,

22  high-demand programs.

23         Section 2.  Subsections (2) and (3) of section 239.213,

24  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

25         239.213  Vocational-preparatory instruction.--

26         (2)  Students who enroll in a certificate career

27  education program of 450 hours or more shall complete an

28  entry-level examination within the first 6 weeks of admission

29  into the program.  The state board shall designate

30  examinations that are currently in existence, the results of

31  which are comparable across institutions, to assess student

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1622
    310-1727-01




  1  mastery of basic skills. Any student deemed to lack a minimal

  2  level of basic skills for such program shall be referred to

  3  vocational-preparatory instruction or adult basic education

  4  for a structured program of basic skills instruction. Such

  5  instruction may include English for speakers of other

  6  languages.  A student may only not receive a certificate of

  7  vocational program completion by either prior to demonstrating

  8  the basic skills required in the state curriculum frameworks

  9  for the vocational program or by successfully passing the

10  appropriate state, national, or industry licensure or

11  certification exam.

12         (3)  The following students are exempt from this

13  section:

14         (a)  Students with disabilities Exceptional students,

15  as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C.

16  section 12101, s. 228.041, may be exempted from the provisions

17  of this section.

18         (b)  A student who possesses an associate in applied

19  science, associate in science, associate in arts,

20  baccalaureate, or graduate-level degree,

21         (c)  A student who has completed the college-level

22  communication and computation skills examination pursuant to

23  s. 240.107, or who is exempt from the college entry-level

24  examination pursuant to s. 240.107, or

25         (d)  Students enrolled in registered apprenticeship

26  programs may be exempted from the provisions of this section.

27         Section 3.  The study required by section 112 of

28  chapter 2000-165, Laws of Florida, is due on January 1, 2003.

29         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

30  law.

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    Florida Senate - 2001                           CS for SB 1622
    310-1727-01




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 1622

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  4  The committee substitute exempts students in vocational
    certificate programs of less than 450 hours from taking a
  5  basic skills examination within 6 weeks after admission in the
    program and allows students in all programs, regardless of
  6  length, to demonstrate the required basic skills by passing a
    state, national, or industry licensure or certification
  7  examination. The committee substitute further exempts, from
    both the initial testing and the required demonstration of
  8  basic skills, students in registered apprenticeship programs,
    students with disabilities, and students who possess an
  9  associate in applied science or associate in science degree.
    In addition, the committee substitute delays by 1 year a study
10  and report about programs that provide on-the-job training in
    skilled trades.
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