HB365ENGROSSED
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HB365
TBBQ299-2
By Representatives Collins, Baker
RFD: Education Policy
First Read: 27-Feb-25
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First Read: 27-Feb-25
A BILL
TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
Relating to the Alabama Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Council; to create the
council within the Department of Workforce; to provide for the
membership of the council, including the executive committee
of the council and additional members appointed by the
Governor and Secretary of Workforce; to provide for meetings;
and to provide for the duties and functions of the council.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
Section 1. For the purposes of this act, the following
terms have the following meanings:
(1) COUNCIL or STEM COUNCIL. The Alabama Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Council
created by this act.
(2) DEPARTMENT. The Department of Workforce.
(3) EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The executive committee of the
council.
(4) STEM. Science, technology, engineering, and math.
(5) STEM CAREERS. Careers that utilize concepts from
the STEM fields including, but not limited to, engineering,
life science, astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth science,
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life science, astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth science,
math and computing, information science, artificial
intelligence, health and medicine, including physicians,
nurses, technicians, and social sciences, including political
science and economics.
(6) STEM EDUCATION. Education that entails more than
achieving competency in individual STEM subject areas and
requires students to be able to integrate concepts from
multiple disciplines and use that knowledge to solve complex
problems. The term often includes instructional practices that
actively engage all students in an interdisciplinary project
or problem-based approach, tied to a real world, authentic
challenge through which students use various technologies to
assist their inquiry, research, and communication.
Section 2. (a) The Alabama Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Council is established as
a state entity within the department to advise the Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of Workforce, Executive
Director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education,
Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System, State
Superintendent of Education, Chair of the Alabama Workforce
Board, and the Legislature on ways to improve STEM-related
education, career awareness, and workforce development across
the state.
(b) The Chief of the Workforce Pathways Division of the
department shall be responsible for the administrative
functions of the council and, upon recommendation of the
Executive Committee of the STEM Council, shall hire an
individual employed by the department to serve as the Director
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individual employed by the department to serve as the Director
of the STEM Council. The director shall serve in that position
at the pleasure of the Executive Committee of the STEM
Council.
Section 3. (a) The membership of the STEM Council shall
consist of all of the following:
(1) Two members appointed by the Governor with
expertise in STEM education or workforce development.
(2) Two members appointed by the Secretary of Workforce
with expertise in workforce development.
(3) The following public officials or their designees:
a. The Chair of the Alabama Workforce Board.
b. The Secretary of Commerce.
c. The Secretary of Early Childhood Education.
d. The State Superintendent of Education.
e. The Chancellor of the Alabama Community College
System.
f. The Executive Director of the Alabama Commission on
Higher Education.
(4) One member appointed by the Governor from each of
the state's workforce regions.
(5) Additional members appointed by the Governor and
Secretary of Workforce as representatives of the state's STEM
stakeholders, including STEM industry representatives, formal
STEM education organizations, and informal STEM education
organizations.
(b) The appointing authorities shall coordinate their
appointments to assure the council membership is inclusive and
reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and
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reflects the racial, gender, geographic, urban, rural, and
economic diversity of the state.
(c) STEM Council members shall serve until their
successors are appointed. A vacancy shall be filled in the
manner provide for the original appointment. An individual
appointed to fill a vacancy on the council shall serve only
for the remaining unexpired portion of the term.
(d) Each council member shall serve at the pleasure of
the appointing authority for a four-year renewable term.
(e) Members of the STEM Council shall serve without
compensation except for reimbursement for reasonable travel
and other expenses actually incurred as an incident to their
service on the council as approved by the Chair of the STEM
Council. Expenses shall be paid using any funds appropriated
for use by the council in the same manner as is provided by
law for state officers and employees.
Section 4. The STEM Council shall have the following
committees:
(1) The executive committee. The STEM Council shall be
under the direction of an executive committee, consisting of
the individuals identified in subdivisions (a)(1), (a)(2), and
(a)(4) of Section 3, and shall be led by the Chair of the STEM
Council, appointed by the Governor. The business of the
council shall be conducted by the executive committee, which
may launch initiatives, make final recommendations, approve
budgets, evaluate the director, and take any other action in
furtherance of the council's purpose and duties, consulting
with the other members of the council and the Secretary of
Workforce, as it deems appropriate.
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Workforce, as it deems appropriate.
(2) Additional committees. The chair of the council may
form additional committees to address issues concerning the
purpose and duties of the council. For each committee formed,
the chair shall designate a serving member of the council as
committee chair and shall provide for the membership and
duties of the committee. Members appointed to additional
committees may also be serving as members of the council.
Section 5. (a) Regular meetings of the council shall be
held at least annually and from time to time at the call of
the council chair. Committee meetings shall be held at the
call of the committee chair. Members of the council may
participate in a meeting of the council by means of telephone
conference, video conference, or similar communications
equipment by means of which all individuals participating in
the meeting may hear each other at the same time.
Participation by electronic means shall constitute presence in
person at a meeting for all purposes. The council shall
establish procedures and other policies necessary to perform
the business of the council, including the establishment of a
quorum.
(b) All regular and special meetings of the council,
including committee meetings, shall comply with the Open
Meetings Act.
Section 6. The duties of the Director of the STEM
Council, with guidance from the council and the Chief
Workforce Officer, shall include all of the following:
(1) Revise, as needed, and oversee the implementation
of the state STEM strategic plan, working in concert with the
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of the state STEM strategic plan, working in concert with the
Alabama Workforce Board's State Strategic Plan.
(2) Serve as the primary point of contact for
communicating with state and national STEM organizations.
(3) Coordinate communication efforts to increase STEM
awareness, illustrate the value of STEM learning, and
highlight STEM careers across the state.
(4) Develop and implement the Governor's STEM "Seal of
Approval," using an evidence-based rubric to recognize
individual programs or periodic events that advance STEM
principles and learning across the state.
(5) Develop, implement, and maintain a digital registry
of evidence-based and effective STEM instructional and
professional learning strategies including summer,
after-school, and out-of-school programs, project-based lesson
plans, inquiry driven modules, and professional learning
opportunities.
(6) In collaboration with the Alabama Commission on the
Evaluation of Services, conduct comprehensive, external
evaluations, as needed or requested, of STEM-based curricula
and educational initiatives that receive funding from the
Education Trust Fund, beginning with the Alabama Math,
Science, and Technology Initiative; Technology in Motion;
Office of Math Improvement; and the Alabama Science in Motion
programs. Assessment rubrics should incorporate criteria
relevant to the goals and outcomes of each initiative
including, but not limited to, the impact on learning,
effectiveness of human capital and organizational performance,
cost per participant, fidelity of implementation, equitable
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cost per participant, fidelity of implementation, equitable
access, the potential for engendering interest and engagement
in STEM activities, and other criteria.
(7) Develop continuous improvement plans for the
Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative; Technology
in Motion; Office of Math Improvement; and the Alabama Science
in Motion programs based on the data gathered from the
external evaluations.
(8) In collaboration with the Alabama Commission on the
Evaluation of Services, conduct comprehensive evaluations, as
needed or requested, of state preservice preparation and
in-service programs for educators teaching STEM subjects,
including both traditional and alternate pathways.
(9) Expand opportunities for STEM career exploration
and discovery, especially among groups that are
under-represented in STEM professions.
(10) Collaborate with the Alabama Commission on Higher
Education, the State Board of Education, and the deans of
two-year and four-year institutions of higher education to
develop and enact an effective plan to encourage and support
an increase in the number of college students choosing a STEM
teaching career.
(11) In collaboration with the Alabama Commission on
the Evaluation of Services and the Office of Education and
Workforce Statistics, collect, aggregate, and analyze relevant
STEM data to track progress against the state STEM strategic
plan, including data from the Alabama Terminal on Linking and
Analyzing Statistics (ATLAS) on career pathways, state
agencies, including student STEM enrollment, learning, and
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agencies, including student STEM enrollment, learning, and
achievement data, STEM labor market information, and measures
of both STEM and STEM career awareness, attitudes, and
perceptions from learners across the education and workforce
continuum.
(12) Collaborate with business and industry in the
state to determine current and future STEM workforce needs.
(13) Promote in-demand Alabama STEM careers, aligning
them with viable educational opportunities.
(14) Provide an annual report on progress toward
implementing the state STEM strategic plan, with
recommendations for improvement, to all of the following:
a. The Governor.
b. The Lieutenant Governor.
c. The Secretary of Workforce.
d. The State Workforce Board.
e. The Speaker of the House of Representatives.
f. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
g. The Chairs of the Senate Finance and Taxation
Education and House Ways and Means Education Committees.
h. The State Superintendent of Education.
i. The Chancellor of the Alabama Community College
System.
j. The Executive Director of the Alabama Commission on
Higher Education.
(15) Perform other tasks as requested by the Governor,
the Secretary of Workforce, and the Legislature.
Section 7. (a) The council shall receive
administrative, legal, and clerical support from the Chief of
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administrative, legal, and clerical support from the Chief of
the Workforce Pathways Division of the department.
(b) The department may retain the services of outside
experts, using funds appropriated for use by the council, on
behalf of the council.
(c) Upon request of the council, state agencies and
other state-funded entities shall cooperate with the council
and provide any requested information and data.
Section 8. The council may establish a foundation to
assist in the development and implementation of the programs
to promote STEM education, STEM workforce development, and
STEM careers. The foundation may solicit and receive
contributions from private organizations to accomplish
objectives provided in this act.
Section 9. This act shall become effective on October
1, 2025.
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1, 2025.
House of Representatives
Read for the first time and referred
to the House of Representatives
committee on Education Policy
................27-Feb-25
Read for the second time and placed
on the calendar:
1 amendment
................05-Mar-25
Read for the third time and passed
as amended
Yeas 102
Nays 0
Abstains 0
................01-Apr-25
John Treadwell
Clerk
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