Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 0025 P.N. 0015

PRINTER'S NO. 15

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

Session of

2023

INTRODUCED BY STRUZZI, CIRESI, GILLEN, INNAMORATO, KAZEEM,

R. MACKENZIE, ORTITAY, SCHLOSSBERG AND STURLA, MARCH 7, 2023

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, MARCH 7, 2023

AN ACT

Amending Title 24 (Education) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes, establishing the Adult Education Workforce Recovery

Grant Program and the Adult Education and Workforce Recovery

Grant Program Fund; and making a transfer.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Title 24 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated

Statutes is amended by adding a part to read:

PART II-A

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

Chapter

31. Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant Program

CHAPTER 31

ADULT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE RECOVERY GRANT PROGRAM

Sec.

3101. Scope of chapter.

3102. Definitions.

3103. Grant program.

3104. Grant awards.

3105. Procedure for grant issuance.

3106. Limit on administrative costs.

3107. Annual report.

3108. Report contents.

§ 3101. Scope of chapter.

This chapter relates to the Adult Education and Workforce

Recovery Grant Program Act.

§ 3102. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this chapter

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Adult education provider." An approved educational agency,

institution or organization making use of either professional or

voluntary personnel. The term includes:

(1) A school district.

(2) An intermediate unit.

(3) An area career and technical school.

(4) A community college.

(5) A literacy council.

(6) A local library.

(7) A community-based organization that is private, a

nonprofit organization and representative of communities or

significant parts of communities and provides adult or family

literacy education programs.

(8) An educational entity recognized by the Secretary of

Education for providing appropriate and effective adult basic

or family literacy education programs.

(9) An education entity recognized by the Secretary of

Education for providing appropriate and effective education

exclusively to adult populations.

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"Eligible program participant." An individual who has

attained 18 years of age and satisfies one of the following:

(1) is basic skills deficient;

(2) does not have a secondary school diploma or its

recognized equivalent and has not achieved an equivalent

level of education;

(3) is an English language learner; or

(4) requires additional training to reenter the

workforce after a job loss or gap in employment.

"Fund." The Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant

Program Fund established under section 3103(b) (relating to

grant program).

"Grant." A grant issued by the department under this

chapter.

"High school equivalency credential." The Commonwealth

Secondary School Diploma available to residents of this

Commonwealth who do not possess a high school diploma and have

met the criteria specified in 22 Pa. Code § 4.72 (relating to

credentials other than the high school diploma).

"Program." The Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant

Program established under section 3103(a).

§ 3103. Grant program.

(a) Establishment.--The Adult Education and Workforce

Recovery Grant Program is established in the department. The

program shall provide grants in accordance with this chapter.

(b) Fund.--The Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant

Program Fund is established in the State Treasury.

(1) The sum of $15,000,000 in Federal money paid to the

Commonwealth under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

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(Public Law 117-2, 135 Stat. 4) shall be transferred to the

fund and, subject to payment of administrative costs under

section 3106 (relating to limit on administrative costs),

shall be allocated as follows:

(i) Eighty percent of the remaining money in the

fund shall be used to provide grants to the entities

described in paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)

and (8) of the definition of "adult education provider"

in section 3102 (relating to definitions).

(ii) Twenty percent of the remaining money in the

fund shall be used to provide grants to entities

described in paragraph (9) of the definition of "adult

education provider" in section 3102 for programs that

serve adult learners who hold a secondary diploma or a

recognized equivalent and need additional training to

reenter the workforce.

(2) The department may reallocate between the grants

specified in paragraph (1)(i) and (ii) any unspent money

resulting from insufficient applicants following the initial

grant application period.

(d) Administration.--The department shall make competitive

grants available to adult education providers for the following

purposes:

(1) Upskilling working-age adults for the post-COVID

workforce.

(2) Providing support to adult learners in completing a

high school equivalency credential.

(3) Providing technical training or job training

necessary to secure employment to participants coenrolled in

adult basic education or transitioning directly from adult

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basic education.

(4) Providing tuition assistance for grant participants

coenrolled in adult basic education or transitioning directly

from adult basic education.

(5) Providing digital literacy training.

(6) Providing career services, including career

exploration, planning and support identifying and evaluating

education and job training programs.

§ 3104. Grant awards.

(a) Eligibility.--An adult education provider shall be

eligible to apply for a grant under the program.

(b) Guidelines.--The department shall develop guidelines

that specify the requirements for grants. The guidelines shall

include:

(1) The grant application process.

(2) Allowed and disallowed expenses.

(3) The method by which grantees will be evaluated on

performance to include outcome-based metrics.

(1) The department may not award a grant in excess of

$500,000 to a qualified applicant.

(2) The department may award a grant for a multipartner

collaboration, in which case the dollar limit in paragraph

(1) shall not apply.

§ 3105. Procedure for grant issuance.

(a) Application.--An eligible adult education provider may

submit an application to the department requesting a grant.

(b) Application requirements.--A completed application must

describe the proposed grant activities in the form and manner

prescribed by the department. An application must include all of

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the following:

(1) A description of the programming and services the

adult education provider will offer in support of one or more

of the purposes outlined in section 3103(d) (relating to

grant program).

(2) A description of the manner in which the adult

education provider will meet the guidelines under section

3104(b) (relating to grant awards).

(3) A projection of costs associated with the proposed

grant activities, including an enumeration of opportunities

to leverage other funding and programming resources.

(4) Information on occupations that will be the focus of

the program, including data on local demand.

(5) A description of strategies to recruit eligible

program participants.

(6) Information on industry-recognized credentials or

certifications awarded to program participants upon

completion of an education or job training.

(7) A start date for the proposed grant activities.

(8) A list of clear objectives and measurable goals that

the adult education provider will seek to achieve.

approve grant applications that, in the sole discretion of the

department, satisfy the requirements of this chapter.

(d) Contractual relationship.--Within 30 days of the

completion of the approval process, the department shall enter

into a contract with each adult education provider approved for

a grant. The contract shall require the signatories to provide

the services described in the approved application from money

appropriated or distributed for this purpose.

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§ 3106. Limit on administrative costs.

No more than 5% of the money in the fund may be used by the

department for administrative costs.

§ 3107. Annual report.

Not later than September 1 of each year, the department shall

submit a report regarding the implementation and outcomes of

grants over the previous fiscal year to the following:

(1) The Governor.

(2) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Appropriations Committee of the Senate.

(3) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.

(4) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Education Committee of the Senate.

(5) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Education Committee of the House of Representatives.

§ 3108. Report contents.

In addition to information or analysis required by the

department, the annual report shall include information about

each grant awarded, including:

(1) If the grant achieved the clear objectives and

measurable goals proposed under section 3105(b)(8) (relating

to procedure for grant issuance).

(2) The number of eligible program participants.

(3) The amount expended.

Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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