House bill NO. 382

INTRODUCED BY G. Oblander, E. Buttrey, D. Salomon, B. Molnar, R. Lynch, F. Anderson, L. Sheldon-Galloway, C. Knudsen, B. Usher, S. Vinton, W. Sales, J. Small, M. Hopkins, D. Harvey, E. Kerr-Carpenter, J. Kassmier, K. Sullivan, K. Zolnikov, B. Mitchell, S. Galloway, M. Bertoglio, M. Thane, M. Yakawich, T. Brockman, R. Miner, L. Deming, G. Nikolakakos, P. Tuss, J. Bergstrom, M. Romano, J. Karlen, B. Carter

By Request of the ****

A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT REVISING THE STATE-LEVEL STRENGTHENING CAREER AND technical student organizations program; revising the allocation of funding between the career and technical student organizations and providing purposes for distributed funds; establishing reporting requirements; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; AMENDING SECTION 20-7-320, MCA; and PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:

Section 1. Section 20-7-320, MCA, is amended to read:

"20-7-320. State-level strengthening career and technology technical student organizations. (1) There is a state-level strengthening career and technology technical student organizations program.

(2) The purposes of the program are to:

(a) strengthen Montana's career and technology technical student organizations by increasing graduation rates, enhancing student leadership opportunities, developing workforce skills, and facilitating transitions to postsecondary education and employment for all participating students;

(b) ensure alignment of activities of local career and technology technical student organizations with nationally affiliated programs and activities; and

(c) provide a base of funding for the statewide coordination of state-approved career and technology technical student organizations; and

(d) distribute performance grants to career and technical student organizations.

(3) To be eligible for funding under this section, each state-approved career and technology technical student organization must be affiliated with a respective national career and technology technical student organization and be appropriately incorporated as a Montana nonprofit organization in compliance with state law and regulations regarding operations and financial reporting by May 1, 2013. The career and technical student organizations eligible for funding under this section are:

(a) Montana HOSA: future health professionals;

(b) Montana BPA (business professionals of America);

(d) Montana FFA (future farmers of America);

(e) Montana TSA (technology student association);

(f) skillsUSA Montana; and

(g) Montana FCCLA (family, career and community leaders of America).

(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute funds appropriated for grants to state-approved base funding of career and technology technical student organizations by November 1 September 1 each year. Each grant recipient organization must receive a an equal base amount of funding utilizing the full amount appropriated for base funding to support the position of state director for the organization operations, management, and expenses. If an organization declines this funding for any reason, the remainder must be split equally between remaining career technical student organizations.

(5) The superintendent of public instruction shall supervise and coordinate the program by establishing procedures and criteria for review and approval of grants to state-approved career and technology student organizations.

(6) Proposals submitted to the superintendent of public instruction by career and technology student organizations must contain:

(a) a program description, including measurable objectives;

(b) evidence of hiring a state director and a plan for expanding student leadership skills;

(d) a method to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

(5) (a) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute performance grants to career and technical student organizations by September 1 each year as described in this subsection (5). To be eligible for a performance grant, an organization must attest to and provide documentation of a minimum of $20,000 in matching funds, which must consist of a minimum of $15,000 in cash donations or other verifiable market value and may include $5,000 in in-kind contributions. An organization may not receive more than 20% of the amount appropriated for performance grants in any fiscal year.

(b) Career and technical student organizations shall submit proposals for performance grants by June 15 each year. The proposals must contain the following:

(i) a written plan detailing goals, objectives, and outcomes that the organization plans to accomplish in the next fiscal year and the performance metrics to be used to evaluate effectiveness. The plan must include goals related to:

(A) student leadership skills;

(B) membership retention and growth;

(D) community and business engagement.

(ii) a description of specific efforts the organization will undertake in the next fiscal year to:

(A) increase participation in rural areas, public and nonpublic schools, and home schools;

(B) make online chapters and remote opportunities available;

(C) increase student attainment of workforce certifications, credentials, trainings, dual enrollment credits, internships, preapprenticeships, and career explorations and job shadow experiences; and

(D) collaborate and form partnerships with business and industry;

(iii) a projected budget for the upcoming grant cycle; and

(iv) a performance report for the current fiscal year that includes but is not limited to the following:

(A) an organizational overview including but not limited to:

(I) the state director;

(II) the state board members;

(III) chapters and locations; and

(IV) membership totals;

(B) accomplishments related to the items set forth in the prior year's proposal, including relevant data;

(D) evidence of a minimum of $20,000 in matching funds, which must consist of a minimum of $15,000 in cash donations or other verifiable market value and may include $5,000 in in-kind contributions.

(c) The superintendent of public instruction shall award performance grants based on evaluations of the proposals and shall score proposals using equally weighted metrics in each category in subsections (5)(b)(i) through (5)(b)(iv).

(d) Career and technical student organizations may request assistance from the office of public instruction in formulating proposals for performance grants.

(e) For fiscal year 2024, the money appropriated for performance grants to career and technical student organizations must be distributed equally to the career and technical student organizations.

(7) Career and technology student organizations may request assistance from the staff of the superintendent of public instruction in formulating program proposals.

(8) Additional or remaining funds appropriated for the purposes of this section may be allocated to state-approved career and technology student organizations pursuant to policies adopted under 20-7-301.

(6) The superintendent of public instruction shall report, in accordance with 5-11-210, to the education interim committee on the funding distributed under the state-level strengthening career and technical student organizations program established in this section and the outcomes reported by organizations pursuant to subsection (5).

(9)(7) As used in this section, "career and technology technical student organization" or "organization" means an organization for students enrolled in a state-approved career and technology technical education program that engages in career and technology technical education activities as an integral part of the instructional program."

Section 2. Appropriation. (1) There is appropriated $350,000 from the general fund to the office of public instruction for each fiscal year of the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, for performance grants under the state-level strengthening career and technical student organizations program pursuant to 20-7-320(5) in addition to the $553,000 appropriation in House Bill No. 2.

(2) The legislature intends that:

(a) the $553,000 appropriation in House Bill No. 2 be distributed as base funding as described in 20-7-320(4) in equal amounts of $79,000 to each of the career and technical student organizations in each year of the biennium beginning July 1, 2023;

(b) the appropriation in this section be considered part of the ongoing base for the next legislative session; and

(c) there be two separate appropriations for the state-level strengthening career and technical student organizations program pursuant to 20-7-320 in the ongoing base for the next legislative session as follows:

(i) one for base funding under 20-7-320(4); and

(ii) another for performance grants under 20-7-320(5).

Section 3. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2023.