SECOND REGULAR SESSION
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BERRY (Sponsor), BARNES, COOKSON, SOLON, CIERPIOT, TORPEY AND CURTIS (Co-sponsors).
6407L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 173.670, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof three new sections relating to course work leading to industry certification.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 173.670, RSMo, is repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 173.670, 173.675, and 173.680, to read as follows:
173.670. 1. There is hereby established within the department of higher education the "Missouri Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative". The department of higher education may award matching funds through this initiative to public institutions of higher education as part of the annual appropriations process.
2. The purpose of the initiative shall be to provide support to increase interest among elementary, secondary, and university students in fields of study related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to increase the number of Missouri graduates in these fields at Missouri's public two- and four-year institutions of higher education.
3. There is hereby created a "Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fund", which shall consist of money collected under this section. The state treasurer shall be custodian of the fund and may approve disbursements from the fund in accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180. Upon appropriation, money in the fund shall be used solely for the administration of this section. Any moneys remaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not revert to the credit of the general revenue fund. The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as other funds are invested. Any interest and moneys earned on such investments shall be credited to the fund.
4. As part of the initiative, the department of higher education shall develop a process to award grants to Missouri public two- and four-year institutions of higher education and school districts that have entered into articulation agreements to offer information technology certification through technical course work leading to postsecondary academic credit through the program established in section 173.675.
5. The general assembly may appropriate funds to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fund to match institution funds to support the following programs:
(1) Endowed teaching professor programs, which provide funds to support faculty who teach undergraduate courses in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields at public institutions of higher education;
(2) Scholarship programs, which provide financial aid or loan forgiveness awards to Missouri students who study in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields or who plan to enter the teaching field in Missouri with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics areas;
(3) Experiential youth programs at public colleges or universities, designed to provide Missouri middle school, junior high, and high school students with the opportunity to experience science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields through camps or other educational offerings;
(4) Career enhancement programs for current elementary and secondary teachers and professors at Missouri public and private colleges and universities in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields to improve the quality of teaching.
173.675. 1. The department of higher education shall develop a program to offer information technology certification through technical course work that leads to postsecondary academic credit. The program shall be available to students enrolled in a public high school in Missouri that has entered into an articulation agreement with a Missouri public two- or four-year institution of higher education to offer such course work. The program shall provide instruction on skills and competencies essential for the workplace and requested by employers and shall include the following components:
(1) A web-enabled online curriculum;
(2) Instructional software for classroom and student use;
(3) Training for teachers to advance technical education skills;
(4) Industry recognized skills certification; and
(5) Integration with existing education standards.
2. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2014, shall be invalid and void.
173.680. 1. The department of higher education shall conduct a study to identify the information technology industry certifications most frequently requested by employers in Missouri. The department of higher education may conduct the study with the assistance of other state departments and agencies, the Missouri mathematics and science coalition, and the governor's advisory council on science, technology, engineering, and mathematical issues.
2. The department of higher education shall complete the study no later than January 31, 2015. The department shall prepare the findings in a report and provide it to:
(1) The president pro tempore of the senate;
(2) The speaker of the house of representatives;
(3) The joint committee on education;
(4) The governor;
(5) The coordinating board for higher education; and
(6) The state board of education.
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