HOUSE BILL 24-1305
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Lindstedt and Lukens, Amabile, Bird,
Boesenecker, Brown, Daugherty, deGruy Kennedy, Duran, Hamrick,
Herod, Jodeh, Joseph, Kipp, Lindsay, Marvin, Mauro, McCormick,
McLachlan, Parenti, Sirota, Snyder, Titone, Vigil, Weissman, Young,
McCluskie;
also SENATOR(S) Baisley and Michaelson Jenet, Buckner, Bridges,
Exum, Ginal, Gonzales, Hinrichsen, Jaquez Lewis, Kolker, Marchman,
Mullica, Priola, Rich, Will, Winter F., Zenzinger
.
C
ONCERNING CHANGES TO PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT STUDENTS WHO EARN
POSTSECONDARY COURSE CREDIT WHILE ENROLLED IN HIGH SCHOOL
.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. Legislative declaration. (1) The general assembly
finds and declares that:
(a) The pathways in technology early college high school,
commonly referred to as a p-tech school or program, model has proven
successful in fostering collaborations between kindergarten through twelfth
grade schools, higher education, and industry partners to deliver a free
associate degree to students upon high school graduation;
NOTE: This bill has been prepared for the signatures of the appropriate legislative
officers and the Governor. To determine whether the Governor has signed the bill
or taken other action on it, please consult the legislative status sheet, the legislative
history, or the Session Laws.
________
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material added to existing law; dashes
through words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law and such material is not part of
the act. (b) The success of the p-tech schools and programs in Colorado is
evident with the establishment of twenty different programs across
Colorado school districts, in both rural and urban school districts; and
(c) To ensure continued success, it is important that p-tech schools
and programs evolve by creating greater flexibility within the p-tech model.
(2) Therefore, the general assembly finds it prudent and necessary
to update the p-tech model to ensure students have the ability to pursue a
focus beyond science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and to be
rewarded for valuable higher education achievement during high school.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 22-35.3-103, amend
(1) as follows:
22-35.3-103. Pathways in technology early college high schools
- design - requirements - approval. (1) A pathways in technology early
college high school, or p-tech school, is a public school that includes grades
nine through fourteen and is designed to prepare students for high-potential
careers in industry,
INCLUDING THE MAJOR INDUSTRY CATEGORIES
IDENTIFIED IN THE
COLORADO TALENT REPORT PR ODUCED PURSUANT TO
SECTION
24-46.3-103 (3), WHICH INCLUDES LIFE, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL
SCIENCES
; ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING ; COMPUTERS AND
MATHEMATICS
; INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR; BUSINESS AND
FINANCE
; CONSTRUCTION AND EXTRACTION ; COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL
SERVICES
; AND TRANSPORTATION AND MATERIAL MOVING OCCUPATIONS , by
enabling them to graduate with a high school diploma and an
industry-recognized associate degree. Students in a p-tech school may also
earn pre-apprenticeship certificates and other industry-recognized
certificates in addition to an associate degree. A p-tech school is operated
as a collaborative effort by a local education provider, a community college,
and one or more local high-growth industry employers. Throughout grades
nine through fourteen, a p-tech school integrates high school and college
courses and certificate programs that are informed by current and projected
industry standards and focused on science, technology, engineering, andmathematics with mentoring, job shadowing, internships,
pre-apprenticeship training, and other workplace education experiences.
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-18-202, amend
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 24-1305 (5)(c)(III) and (5)(f) as follows:
23-18-202. College opportunity fund - appropriations - payment
of stipends - reimbursement - report. (5) (c) (III) For an eligible
undergraduate student who has completed one or more college courses
while enrolled in high school pursuant to the "Concurrent Enrollment
Programs Act", article 35 of title 22, or while designated as an ASCENT
program participant pursuant to section 22-35-108 or as a TREP program
participant pursuant to section 22-35-108.5, or while enrolled in a pathways
in technology early college high school pursuant to article 35.3 of title 22,
all college-level credit hours earned by the student while so enrolled
DO NOT
count against the lifetime limitation described in subsection (5)(c)(I) of this
section. except that credit hours earned from enrollment in a developmental
education course, as defined in section 23-1-113 (11)(b), do not count
against the lifetime limitation.
(f) Notwithstanding the lifetime-credit-hour limitation established
pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subsection (5) SUBSECTION (5)(c) OF THIS
SECTION
and in addition to the provisions of paragraph (e) of this subsection(5) SUBSECTION (5)(e) OF THIS SECTION, a state institution of higher
education may annually grant a one-year waiver of the lifetime-credit-hour
limitation for up to five percent of the eligible undergraduate students
enrolled in the state institution of higher education. In granting the waivers
under this paragraph (f), the state institution of higher education shall, upon
request, grant a waiver to an eligible undergraduate student for courses
taken pursuant to the "Concurrent Enrollment Programs Act", article 35 of
title 22, C.R.S., or for courses taken while enrolled in a pathways in
technology early college high school pursuant to article 35.3 of title 22.
C.R.S. For any remaining portion of the institution's five percent of eligible
undergraduate students who may receive waivers, the institution shall give
priority to students who are seeking job retraining.
SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except
that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V
of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 24-1305 November 2024 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official
declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
Julie McCluskie Steve Fenberg
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
____________________________ ____________________________
Robin Jones Cindi L. Markwell
CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
APPROVED________________________________________
(Date and Time)
_________________________________________
Jared S. Polis
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 24-1305