Bill Text: CT HB05376 | 2014 | General Assembly | Comm Sub

Connecticut House Bill 5376 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: An Act Implementing The Recommendations Of The Legislative Program Review And Investigations Committee On The Reemployment Of Older Workers As They Relate To The Board Of Regents For Higher Education.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-04-08 - Tabled for the Calendar, House [HB05376 Detail]

Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05376-Comm_Sub.html

General Assembly		*Substitute Bill No. 5376*
*February Session, 2014*		_____HB05376HED___040814____

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM REVIEW AND INVESTIGATIONS COMMITTEE ON THE REEMPLOYMENT OF OLDER WORKERS AS THEY RELATE TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.

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

Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2014) The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall (1) conduct a feasibility study to examine the potential for expanding the manufacturing technology center model to create centers of excellence, as defined in section 10a-25h of the general statutes, for other high-demand career areas, and (2) implement the Plus 50 Initiative model throughout the regional community-technical college system. The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education and labor on the results of the feasibility study and the implementation status not later than July 1, 2015.

Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2014) (a) Not later than July 1, 2015, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall establish consistent parameters for noncredit vocational courses and programs to be recognized by each of the constituent units of the state system of public higher education, as described in section 10a-1 of the general statutes.

(b) Not later than July 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, the Board of Regents for Higher Education shall require each of the constituent units of the state system of public higher education to collect and report to the Board of Regents the following information regarding such noncredit vocational courses and programs: (1) Total enrollment and completion rates for such courses and programs, (2) participant demographic information, including, but not limited to, age and gender, and (3) the employment status, job retention and wage rates for students both prior to enrolling in and after completion of such courses and programs. The Board of Regents for Higher Education shall collaborate with the Labor Commissioner to obtain information as needed to carry out the provisions of this section.

Sec. 3. Section 10a-6b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2014):

(a) The accountability measures developed by the Higher Education Coordinating Council pursuant to subsection (b) of section 10a-6a shall be used by the Board of Regents for Higher Education and each constituent unit of the state system of higher education in assessing each public institution of higher education's progress toward meeting the following goals to: (1) Enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) join with elementary and secondary schools to improve teaching and learning at all levels; (3) ensure access to and affordability of higher education; (4) promote the economic development of the state to help business and industry sustain strong economic growth; (5) respond to the needs and problems of society; and (6) ensure the efficient use of resources. The council shall develop an implementation plan for use of the accountability measures.

(b) In developing the measures pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the council shall consider: [graduation] (1) Graduation rates, (2) student retention rates, (3) completions, (4) tuition and fees, (5) allocation of resources across expenditure functions, as defined by the National Association of College and University Business Officers, (6) revenues and expenditures broken out by programs, (7) student financial need and available aid, (8) transfer patterns of students transferring in and out of the constituent units, (9) trends in enrollment and the percentage of incoming students who are state residents, (10) strategic plans pursuant to section 10a-11, (11) data on graduates, including age, by academic [program,] and noncredit vocational course and program, (12) faculty productivity, and (13) any other factor that it deems relevant. All measures shall be made available for inspection and separated out by constituent unit, institution of higher education, campus and program.

(c) The council shall work with the Labor Department to (1) produce periodic reports, capable of being sorted by student age, on the employment status, job retention and earnings of students enrolled in academic and noncredit vocational courses and programs, both prior to enrollment and after completion of such courses and programs, who leave the constituent units upon graduation or otherwise, and (2) develop an annual affordability index for public higher education that is based on state-wide median family income.

(d) The council shall submit the accountability measures to the Board of Regents for Higher Education for the board's review and approval. Once the measures are approved, each constituent unit shall provide the data to the board that is necessary for purposes of applying the measures.

(e) Each public institution of higher education of the state system of higher education shall submit an accountability report to the president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education annually, by November first. The president shall compile the reports and shall submit, in accordance with section 11-4a, a consolidated accountability report for the state system of higher education to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education annually, by December first. The report shall contain accountability measures for each constituent unit and public institution of higher education pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section. The report shall include updated baseline and peer comparison data, performance improvement targets for each measure, and other information as determined by the president.

Sec. 4. Section 10a-161a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):

The president of the Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education shall report, biennially, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education on state, northeast regional and national trends in (1) the cost of attendance at public and independent institutions of higher education and private occupational schools, and (2) the availability and utilization of all forms of student financial aid for academic and noncredit vocational courses and programs relative to economic conditions and personal income.

Sec. 5. (Effective July 1, 2014) The Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education shall conduct a study of financial aid options for students enrolled in noncredit vocational courses and programs, including low interest loans whose payment may be subject to a sliding scale depending on income or deferred until the student is employed. The Board of Regents for Higher Education and the Office of Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to higher education on the results of such study not later than January 1, 2015.


This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1	July 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 2	July 1, 2014	New section
Sec. 3	July 1, 2014	10a-6b
Sec. 4	October 1, 2014	10a-161a
Sec. 5	July 1, 2014	New section