Bill Text: CT HB05338 | 2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: An Act Concerning The Funding And Expansion Of Certain Certificate Programs.

Spectrum: Committee Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-02 - Public Hearing 03/06 [HB05338 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2018-HB05338-Introduced.html

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General Assembly		Raised Bill No. 5338
February Session, 2018		LCO No. 1723
		*01723_______ED_*
Referred to Committee on EDUCATION
Introduced by:
(ED)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE FUNDING AND EXPANSION OF CERTAIN CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) (a) As used in this section and sections 2 and 3 of this act:

(1) "Public institution of higher education" means the constituent units of the state system of higher education identified in subdivisions (1) and (2) of section 10a-1 of the general statutes; and

(2) "Qualifying certificate program" means a for-credit or noncredit sub-baccalaureate certificate program offered by a public institution of higher education in which at least seventy-five per cent of the graduates of such certificate program are employed in the field related to or requiring such certificate in the year following such students' graduation.

(b) The Office of Higher Education shall establish a program to provide supplemental funding grants to public institutions of higher education that offer qualifying certificate programs. Such program shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of this section and sections 2 and 3 of this act.

(c) A public institution of higher education may submit an application to the office for a supplemental grant under this section for each qualifying certificate program offered by such institution. An application shall be made at such time and in such manner as the executive director of the Office of Higher Education prescribes. An application shall include, but need not be limited to, documentation substantiating the employment rate of the qualifying certificate program. Upon receipt of an application, the office shall (1) review the application and verify the employment rate of the qualifying certificate program, and (2) may issue a provisional acceptance.

(d) Following a provisional acceptance of an application submitted under subsection (c) of this section, but prior to awarding a supplemental funding grant, the office shall submit a request to the executive board of the Connecticut Preschool through Twenty and Workforce Information Network, established pursuant to section 10a-57g of the general statutes, for data elements, as defined in said section, related to all graduates of the qualifying certificate program. Upon receipt of such data elements, the office shall transfer such information to the Commissioner of Revenue Services for purposes of segregating the income tax liability of graduates of such qualifying certificate program pursuant to section 2 of this act into the qualifying certificate program account established pursuant to section 3 of this act. The office shall withdraw an amount equal to the sum of the income tax liability of graduates of the qualifying certificate program from the qualifying certificate program account and pay a supplemental funding grant to the public institution of higher education.

(e) A public institution of higher education receiving a supplemental funding grant under this section shall use such grant for the purpose of funding its qualifying certificate program.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) As part of the supplemental funding program for qualifying certificate programs established pursuant to section 1 of this act, for taxable years commencing on or after January 1, 2019, the Commissioner of Revenue Services shall segregate the income taxes paid by graduates of a qualifying certificate program pursuant to subsection (d) of section 1 of this act. The commissioner shall segregate an annual amount of such tax liability in an amount equal to fifteen per cent of such tax liability per year. The total amount segregated under this section shall not exceed one million dollars in any calendar year. The commissioner shall deposit such segregated amounts into the qualifying certificate program account established pursuant to section 3 of this act.

Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2018) There is established a qualifying certificate program account which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account within the General Fund. Funds segregated by the Commissioner of Revenue Services pursuant to section 2 of this act shall be deposited in the account. An amount equal to the amount deposited in the account shall be available to the Office of Higher Education for providing supplemental funding grants, pursuant to section 1 of this act, to public institutions of higher education that offer qualifying certificate programs. The State Treasurer shall invest the proceeds of the account. Investment earnings, after paying any costs incurred by the State Treasurer in administering the account, shall be credited to the General Fund. On or before September 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the State Treasurer shall notify the Office of Higher Education of the total amount deposited in the account. Any funds segregated on behalf of a public institution of higher education that are not used for a qualifying certificate program shall be transferred to the General Fund.

This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2018	New section
Sec. 2	July 1, 2018	New section
Sec. 3	July 1, 2018	New section

Statement of Purpose:

To provide a means of additional funding for those certificate programs that have a high employment rate for students in their field of study following graduation.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]