Bill Text: AZ HB2321 | 2016 | Fifty-second Legislature 2nd Regular | Introduced


Bill Title: Pilot program; STEM internships

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2016-02-17 - House ED Committee action: Discussed and Held [HB2321 Detail]

Download: Arizona-2016-HB2321-Introduced.html

 

 

 

REFERENCE TITLE: pilot program; STEM internships

 

 

 

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-second Legislature

Second Regular Session

2016

 

 

HB 2321

 

Introduced by

Representative Meyer

 

 

AN ACT

 

establishing a pilot program to provide internships to students in science, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING and mathematics programs; appropriating monies.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 


Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Pilot program to provide internships to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs; challenge scholarships; requirements; reports

A.  The Arizona board of regents shall establish a five‑year pilot program to provide internships to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

B.  The Arizona board of regents may enter into agreements with   businesses that wish to provide internships to students who are awarded challenge scholarships pursuant to this section.  The Arizona board of regents shall prescribe the application procedure and the selection criteria for businesses.  Challenge scholarships awarded pursuant to this section may be funded by monies appropriated for this purpose or by gifts, grants or  donations received by the board for this purpose, except that at least fifty percent of the scholarship monies shall originate from private sources.

C.  As part of the pilot program, the Arizona board of regents shall award science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenge scholarships to students who meet the eligibility criteria prescribed in this section.

D.  To be eligible to receive an initial science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenge scholarship pursuant to this section, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

1.  Graduate from a high school in this state with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

2.  Enroll in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics program at a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.

3.  Agree to work as an intern for not more than fifteen hours a week for a business that participates in the pilot program.

E.  After the initial award of a challenge scholarship pursuant to this section, a student must meet all of the following criteria to receive the scholarship in subsequent years:

1.  Remain enrolled in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics program pursuant to this section at a university under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents.

2.  Maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

3.  Complete at least eighty percent of all semester credit hours for which that student enrolled each semester.

4.  Complete at least twenty‑four semester credit hours per academic year.

5.  Work as an intern for not more than fifteen hours each week for a business that participates in the pilot program.

F.  A university that participates in the pilot program must meet all of the following criteria:

1.  Admit at least fifty students each academic year into science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

2.  Develop partnerships with business and industry to:

(a)  Identify local employment needs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

(b)  Provide internships for students who are enrolled in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs.

G.  A student may not be awarded a challenge scholarship pursuant to this section for more than five thousand dollars for more than two academic years.

H.  The Arizona board of regents shall submit an annual report to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the joint legislative budget committee, and provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state, that includes all of the following:

1.  The number of students who participated in the pilot program.

2.  The number of students who worked as interns under the pilot program.

3.  A detailed accounting of the monies appropriated and expended pursuant to this act.

I.  The Arizona board of regents shall submit a final report on or before September 15, 2022 to the governor, the speaker of the house of representatives, the president of the senate and the joint legislative budget committee, and shall provide a copy of this report to the secretary of state, that includes all of the following:

1.  The number of students who participated in the pilot program.

2.  The number of students who worked as interns under the pilot program.

3.  An analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot program in stimulating businesses to hire students who participated in the pilot program after graduation.

4.  An analysis of the effectiveness of the pilot program in assisting students who participated in the pilot program to find subsequent employment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

5.  The number of students who participated in the pilot program and who found subsequent full‑time employment in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. 

6.  A detailed accounting of the monies appropriated and expended pursuant to this act.

Sec. 2.  Appropriations; Arizona board of regents; pilot program to provide internships to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs; exemption

A.  The sum of $1,000,000 is appropriated from the state general fund in each of fiscal years 2016-2017, 2017‑2018, 2018‑2019, 2019‑2020 and 2020‑2021 to the Arizona board of regents for the purpose of funding the pilot program established by this act.

B.  The appropriations made in subsection A of this section are exempt from the provisions of section 35‑190, Arizona Revised Statutes, relating to lapsing of appropriations, except that all monies remaining unencumbered or unexpended on July 1, 2022 revert to the state general fund.

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