SB 67 CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS PROGRAM

Sen Craig Brandt

Actions: [1] SCC/SEC/SFC-SCC

Scheduled: Not Scheduled

 Senate Bill 67 (SB 67) adds to Public Education to create the Career Development Success Program and the Career Development Success Program Fund. SB 226947 makes an appropriation.
 

 Senate Bill 67 (SB 67) adds to Public Education to create the Career Development Success Program.

SECTION 1 creates the Career Development Success Program (Program).
A. Provides definitions as used in this section.

B. Creates the Program as a three-year pilot program administered by the department to provide financial incentives to school districts to encourage students enrolled in grades nine through twelve to enroll in and successfully complete qualified industry credential programs or qualified workplace training programs. 

Each participating school district, as provided in Subsection D of this section, may receive
funding for each student who successfully earned an industry-recognized credential through a qualified industry credential program or a qualified workplace training program. 

C. Each school district may decide annually whether to participate in the program.

D. Funding for the program shall be distributed as follows:
(1) For each budget year, the department shall distribute to each participating school district an amount of at least $250 and up to $750, multiplied by the number of students reported by the participating school district as successfully earning an industry-recognized credential; except that a single participating school district shall not receive a distribution for more than ten percent of the total number of completed industry-recognized credentials reported by school districts; 
(2) the department shall establish criteria to create a tiered system of funding incentives with greater funding amounts for qualified industry credential programs or qualified workplace training programs that are more costly to provide;
(3) a student at each participating school district may generate only one award, even if the student earns more than one industry-recognized credential; and 
(4) if the statewide sum of awards exceeds the amount of available money appropriated for awards, funds shall be reduced proportionally to cover all eligible incentive awardees. 

E. The department shall promulgate rules for the administration of the program as specified in this subsection.

F. The department shall develop and maintain annually the list of industry-recognized credentials in partnership with the Workforce Solutions Department, the Higher Education Department, New Mexico's community colleges and employers from in-demand industries. 

G. The department shall provide to each nonparticipating school district the program information explaining the program, including the industry-recognized credentials for which a participating school district may receive a distribution, the amounts of the distributions and the requirements and procedures for participating in the program. 

H. Creates the Career Development Success Program Fund (Fund) as specified in this subsection from the sources as described in this subsection, administered by the department and appropriated to the department paid as described in this subsection. The fund shall be nonreverting until the Program has ended, at which time the unencumbered or unexpended balance remaining in the fund shall revert to the General Fund.

SECTION 2 makes an appropriation of $1,200,000 from the General Fund to the Fund for expenditure in Fiscal Year 2025 and subsequent fiscal years to carry out the purposes of the career development success program. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.