PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 386
PRINTER'S NO. 837
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
462
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY BARTOLOTTA, VOGEL, AUMENT, ROBINSON, COSTA,
KEARNEY, COLLETT, CAPPELLETTI, DILLON, COMITTA, GEBHARD AND
L. WILLIAMS, MARCH 3, 2023
SENATOR ARGALL, EDUCATION, AS AMENDED, JUNE 6, 2023
AN ACT
Establishing the Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant
Program and the Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant
Program Fund; AND imposing powers and duties on the
Department of Education; and making a transfer.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Preliminary Provisions
Section 101. Short title.
Section 102. Definitions.
Chapter 3. Adult Education and Workforce Recovery Grant Program
Section 301. Establishment.
Section 302. Grants.
Section 303. Procedure for grant issuance.
Chapter 9. Reporting
Section 901. Annual report.
Section 902. Report contents.
Chapter 11. Transfer ALLOCATION
Section 1101. Fund ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.
Chapter 13. Miscellaneous Provisions
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Section 1301. Effective date.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
CHAPTER 1
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
Section 101. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Adult
Education and Workforce Recovery Grant Program Act.
Section 102. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act 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 a private
nonprofit organization, 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
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exclusively to adult populations.
"Department." The Department of Education of the
Commonwealth.
"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 1101(a).
"Grant." A grant issued by the department under this act.
"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 301(a).
CHAPTER 3
ADULT EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE RECOVERY
GRANT PROGRAM
Section 301. Establishment.
(a) General rule.--The Adult Education and Workforce
Recovery Grant Program is established in the department. The
program shall provide grants as provided in this act TO THE
EXTENT THAT MONEY IS APPROPRIATED OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE TO
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THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAKING GRANTS.
(b) Administration.--The department shall make competitive
grants available to adult education providers for the following
purposes:
(1) Upskilling working-age adults.
(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
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.
Section 302. Grants.
(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.
(c) Awards.--
(1) The department may not award a grant in excess of
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$500,000 to a qualified applicant.
(2) The department may award a grant for a multipartner
collaboration, in which case the dollar limit under paragraph
(1) shall not apply.
Section 303. 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
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 301(b).
(2) A description of the manner in which the adult
education provider will meet the guidelines under section
302(b).
(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.
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(c) Approval process.--The department shall review and
approve grant applications that, in the sole discretion of the
department, satisfy the requirements of this act.
(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.
CHAPTER 9
REPORTING
Section 901. Annual report.
Not later than September 1 of each year after grants are
awarded, 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.
Section 902. Report contents.
In addition to information or analysis required by the
department, the annual report under section 901 shall include
information about each grant awarded, including:
(1) If the grant achieved the clear objectives and
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measurable goals proposed under section 303(b)(8).
(2) The number of eligible program participants.
(3) The amount expended.
CHAPTER 11
TRANSFER
Section 1101. Fund.
(a) Establishment.--The Adult Education and Workforce
Recovery Grant Program Fund is established within the State
Treasury.
(b) Source of fund.--
(1) For the 2023-2024 fiscal year, the sum of
$15,000,000 shall be transferred from the General Fund to the
fund and, subject to payment of administrative costs as
provided in paragraph (3), 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 102.
(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 102 for programs that
serve adult learners who hold a secondary diploma or its
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.
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(3) No more than 5% of the money in the fund may be used
by the department for administrative costs.
(4) Money remaining in the fund at the end of the 2023-
2024 fiscal year shall not lapse and may be spent in
subsequent fiscal years.
CHAPTER 11
ALLOCATION
SECTION 1101. ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.
(A) ALLOCATION.--
(1) EIGHTY PERCENT OF MONEY APPROPRIATED 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 102.
(2) TWENTY PERCENT OF MONEY APPROPRIATED SHALL BE USED
TO PROVIDE GRANTS TO ENTITIES DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (9) OF
THE DEFINITION OF "ADULT EDUCATION PROVIDER" IN SECTION 102
FOR PROGRAMS THAT SERVE ADULT LEARNERS WHO HOLD A SECONDARY
DIPLOMA OR ITS RECOGNIZED EQUIVALENT AND NEED ADDITIONAL
TRAINING TO REENTER THE WORKFORCE.
(B) REALLOCATION.--THE DEPARTMENT MAY REALLOCATE BETWEEN THE
GRANTS SPECIFIED IN SUBSECTION (A) ANY UNSPENT MONEY RESULTING
FROM INSUFFICIENT APPLICANTS FOLLOWING THE INITIAL GRANT
APPLICATION PERIOD.
CHAPTER 13
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 1301. Effective date.
This act shall take effect immediately. JUNE 30, 2023, OR
IMMEDIATELY, WHICHEVER IS LATER.
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