SENATE BILL 98070
BY SENATOR Tanner;
also REPRESENTATIVES Tate, Bacon, Clarke, Dyer, Hagedorn,
Mace, Nichol, and Udall.
CONCERNING TUITION VOUCHERS AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES
FOR COLORADO WORKS PARTICIPANTS.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State
of Colorado:
SECTION 1. 262709
(2), Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
262709. Benefits
cash assistance programs. (2) Other
assistance. (a) Subject to available appropriations,
a county department may provide assistance, including but not
limited to cash assistance, in addition to the basic assistance
grant described in subsection (1) of this section that was provided
to recipients of AFDC or JOBS or is authorized pursuant to the
provisions of the federal law OR THIS SECTION. Such other assistance
shall be intended to promote sustainable employment for the participants
in the county.
(b) A county department shall provide
assistance to help participants apply for and receive the earned
income tax credit under applicable rules of the federal internal
revenue service.
(c) (I) A COUNTY DEPARTMENT MAY PROVIDE
A VOUCHER CREATED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS PARAGRAPH
(c) TO A PARTICIPANT FOR USE AT ONE OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
ADMINISTERED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE 60 OF TITLE
23, C.R.S., FOR THE PURPOSE OF SECURING SHORTTERM EDUCATIONAL
AND ACADEMIC SKILLS TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES.
(II) THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE STATE DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT, AND THE STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION CREATED IN SECTION 2360104
(1) (b), C.R.S., SHALL ANNUALLY ANALYZE JOB MARKET INFORMATION
IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH A COMPILATION OF THE TYPES OF JOBS MOST
APPROPRIATE AND LIKELY TO LEAD TO LONGTERM SELFSUFFICIENCY
FOR PARTICIPANTS. AS USED IN THIS SUBPARAGRAPH (II), "JOB
MARKET INFORMATION" MEANS ANY STATE OR REGIONAL JOB MARKET
OR LABOR DATA OR STATISTICS OR ANY INFORMATION RELATED TO STATE
OR REGIONAL LABOR TRENDS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND
EMPLOYMENT MAY HAVE OR TO WHICH IT MAY HAVE ACCESS.
(III) THE STATE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLABORATE
WITH THE STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION,
CREATED IN SECTION 2360104 (1) (b), C.R.S., TO DEVELOP
A TUITION VOUCHER SYSTEM PURSUANT TO WHICH A PARTICIPANT MAY ATTEND
COURSES AT AN INSTITUTION IN THE STATE'S SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY AND
TECHNICAL COLLEGES BY USING A TUITION VOUCHER.
(IV) THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE STATE
BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION, CREATED
IN SECTION 2360104 (1) (b), C.R.S., SHALL ENTER INTO
A COOPERATIVE ARRANGEMENT TO MAKE AVAILABLE APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL
AND ACADEMIC TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO RECEIVE TUITION
VOUCHERS.
SECTION 2. 2360304
(4), Colorado Revised Statutes, is amended to read:
2360304. Plans development
and implementation. (4) (a) The
board has the authority to enter into cooperative arrangements
with the system of public employment offices in the state, in
order to make available to appropriate educational agencies all
occupational information possessed by such employment offices
regarding reasonable prospects of employment in the community
and elsewhere, so that such agencies may consider such information
in providing occupational guidance and counseling to students
and prospective students, and in determining the occupations for
which persons should be trained, and in order to make available
to the public employment offices information possessed by guidance
and counseling personnel regarding the qualifications of persons
leaving or completing occupational education programs, so that
the employment offices may be aided in the occupational guidance
and placement of such persons.
(b) THE BOARD SHALL ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE
ARRANGEMENT WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES TO DEVELOP:
(I) APPROPRIATE EDUCATIONAL AND ACADEMIC
TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM,
CREATED IN PART 7 OF ARTICLE 2 OF TITLE 26, C.R.S., BASED UPON
THE JOB MARKET ANALYSIS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 262709
(2) (c) (II), C.R.S.; AND
(II) A TUITION VOUCHER SYSTEM PURSUANT
TO WHICH A PARTICIPANT IN THE COLORADO WORKS PROGRAM, CREATED
IN PART 7 OF ARTICLE 2 OF TITLE 26, C.R.S., MAY ATTEND COURSES
AT AN INSTITUTION IN THE STATE'S SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL
COLLEGES BY USING A TUITION VOUCHER.
SECTION 3. No
appropriation. The general assembly has determined that this
act can be implemented within existing appropriations, and therefore
no separate appropriation of state moneys is necessary to carry
out the purposes of this act.
SECTION 4. Safety
clause. The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and
declares that this act is necessary for the immediate preservation
of the public peace, health, and safety.
____________________________ ____________________________
Tom Norton Charles E. Berry
PRESIDENT OF SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
____________________________ ____________________________
Patricia K. Dicks Judith M. Rodrigue
ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE
THE SENATE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APPROVED________________________________________
_________________________________________
Roy Romer
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
OF COLORADO