Relating to and making appropriations to the education system, including the funding and operation of the department for the blind, the department of education, and the state board of regents; requiring the state board of regents to conduct a study and prepare a report related to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and efforts; providing for responsibilities of the workforce development board; establishing the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program; requiring the department of education to convene a task force on at-risk students and dropout prevention programs; modifying provisions related to the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program, the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, the education savings account program, the gap tuition assistance program, the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program, career and technical education programs, the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program, the equipment replacement and program-sharing property tax levy, and the posting of education-related job openings; and including effective date, applicability, and retroactive applicability provisions

The bill includes appropriations to the department of education for the college student aid commission for general administrative purposes, administration of the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, the health care professional recruitment program, the national guard service scholarship program, the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, the teach Iowa scholar program, the rural Iowa primary care loan repayment program, the health care loan repayment program, the rural veterinarian loan repayment program, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce last-dollar scholarship program, the future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program, the mental health professional loan repayment program, and the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program. The bill appropriates moneys from the Iowa skilled worker and job creation fund to the department of education. STATE BOARD OF REGENTS. The bill appropriates moneys to the state board of regents for the board office, universities’ general operating budgets, the western Iowa regents resource center, the state university of Iowa, Iowa state university of science and technology, and the university of northern Iowa. STANDING APPROPRIATIONS.25(1). DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION. The bill requires the state board of regents to conduct a comprehensive study and review of the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and efforts of each institution of higher learning under the state board’s control. The bill establishes the components the study and review is to include. The bill requires the state board of regents to prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations to be considered by the state board during its November 2023 meeting. Additionally, the bill requires the state board of regents to submit a final report containing findings and recommendations to the governor and the general assembly no later than December 1, 2023. The bill requires an institution of higher learning under the control of the state board of regents to cease all associated hiring in FY 2023-2024. IOWA WORKFORCE GRANT AND INCENTIVE PROGRAM. The bill establishes the Iowa workforce grant and incentive program (WGIP) within the college student aid commission (commission), subject to an appropriation of moneys by the general assembly. The bill provides that a full-time eligible student may receive an annual grant under the WGIP for not more than four semesters or until the eligible student completes the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill also provides that a part-time eligible student may receive an annual grant under the WGIP for not more than eight semesters, on a prorated basis, or until the eligible student completes the eligible program, whichever occurs first. The bill establishes that the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP to a full-time eligible student shall not exceed $2,000 per semester, and the maximum amount of a grant under the WGIP to a part-time eligible student shall be prorated based on the part-time eligible student’s semester hour enrollment. The bill requires eligible students to submit new applications under the WGIP to the commission annually for reevaluation of eligibility. The bill provides that if a grant recipient discontinues attendance before the end of any semester, the eligible institution is required to pay to the commission the entire amount of any refund due to that recipient, up to the full amount of the grant payments made during the semester. When making awards under the WGIP, the bill requires the commission to give priority to applicants who received an award in the prior academic year and applicants with the least financial ability to pay. The bill provides that an individual who was an eligible student who received a grant under the WGIP in the academic year in which the eligible program is completed, and who accepts and begins employment in an aligned occupation in this state within six months of completing the eligible program, may apply to the commission for one incentive payment of up to $2,000. The bill establishes that the commission shall pay the incentive payment upon the successful applicant’s completion of consecutive months of employment in this state. The bill establishes an Iowa workforce grant and incentive program fund in the state treasury under the control of the commission. The bill provides that all moneys deposited or paid into the fund are appropriated to the commission to be used for awarding grants and incentive payments under the WGIP. The bill defines “commission”, “eligible institution”, “eligible program”, “eligible student”, “financial need”, “full-time”, and “part-time”. The bill requires the Iowa workforce development board, in collaboration with the state board of regents, to create a list of high-wage and high-demand jobs and corresponding academic majors offered by institutions of higher education governed by the state board of regents for purposes of the WGIP. The bill establishes the criteria for inclusion on the list. The bill requires the Iowa workforce development board, in collaboration with the state board of regents, to update the list at least once every two years. TASK FORCE —— FUNDING FOR AT-RISK STUDENTS AND DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAMS. The bill requires the department of education to convene and provide administrative support to a task force. The bill establishes that the task force is to study certain specified issues related to programs for at-risk students and dropout prevention programs. FUTURE READY IOWA SKILLED WORKFORCE GRANT PROGRAM. The future ready Iowa skilled workforce grant program provides tuition support to eligible students who have completed more than two years of a four-year degree in a high-demand field. The program provides a minimum of $1,000 in tuition support for eligible students who go back to school at eligible institutions to finish an eligible program. The bill modifies the definition of “eligible institution” under the program to include approved virtual institutions, as defined in the bill. The bill also modifies the definition of “eligible institution” to remove the requirement that the eligible institution certify that prior to participating in the program an eligible student has earned at least half of the credits necessary for a bachelor’s degree and is able to complete a bachelor’s degree in an eligible program of study or academic major leading to a designated high-demand job in the prescribed grant time frame. The bill modifies the definition of “eligible student” to remove the requirement that the eligible student has earned at least half of the credits necessary for a bachelor’s degree and is able to complete a bachelor’s degree in an eligible program of study or academic major leading to a designated high-demand job in the prescribed grant time frame. Current law requires that an eligible student under the program must not have been enrolled in postsecondary education during the months preceding the date on which the college student aid commission receives the individual’s application to participate in the program. The bill strikes this requirement and replaces it with a requirement that the eligible student must be at least years of age at the time the student enrolls in an eligible program. The bill strikes a provision that prohibits new awards from the grant program. ALL IOWA OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP. The bill modifies several provisions of the all Iowa opportunity scholarship program, including modifying the definition of “eligible foster care student” and modifying eligibility requirements under the program. The bill provides that these provisions apply to applications submitted under the program before, on, or after the effective date of this division of the bill. EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS —— CORRECTIONS. The bill makes corrections to 2023 Iowa Acts, House File 68. These provisions of the bill are effective upon enactment and apply retroactively to January 24, 2023. EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS —— DEPOSIT OF MONEYS. The bill allows moneys in the education savings account fund to be deposited into an account at any financial institution, including financial institutions outside the state of Iowa, if such deposits are adequately protected and necessary for the effective administration of the education savings account program. GAP TUITION ASSISTANCE. The bill modifies the provisions of the gap tuition assistance program to eliminate certain requirements and make other changes related to coverage for tuition assistance and eligible certificate programs. STATE GOVERNMENT REALIGNMENT —— MODIFICATIONS. The bill provides that certain provisions applicable to school district employees also apply to employees of the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program. The bill requires the state board of regents to transfer all property and records in its custody related to the Iowa educational services for the blind and visually impaired program to the department of education. The bill modifies the definition of “approved career and technical education program” for purposes of the career and technical education program. STATE PROGRAM ALLOCATION —— FINE ARTS BEGINNING TEACHER MENTORING PROGRAM.34 (fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program) for matching purposes.13 establishes how moneys appropriated for purposes of the student achievement and teacher quality program are to be allocated.13 to FY 2023-2024, and increases the allocations for the fine arts beginning teacher mentoring program.11. EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT AND PROGRAM-SHARING PROPERTY TAX LEVY. Current law provides that the board of directors of a community college may certify for a levy a tax on taxable property in the merged area at a rate not exceeding cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation for equipment replacement for the community college. Current law also allows the board of directors to certify for a levy on taxable property in the merged area at a rate in excess of cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation if the excess tax levied does not cause the total rate certified to exceed cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation and if the revenue generated by the levy is used for, among other things, the purchase of instructional equipment. The bill modifies this provision to allow for the revenue generated by the levy to be used for the purchase of equipment. These provisions of the bill take effect upon enactment. ONLINE STATE JOB POSTING SYSTEM —— REPEAL. The bill requires the department of workforce development, in consultation with the department of education, to establish a system that allows the department of education, school districts, charter schools, area education agencies, and accredited nonpublic schools to post job openings on an internet site. The bill establishes requirements related to the system and the internet site.27, which provides for the department of education’s operation of an online state job posting system.