HOUSE BILL 25-1221
BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Hamrick and Garcia Sander, Bacon, Bird,
Bradley, Brown, Carter, Clifford, Duran, English, Espenoza, Froelich,
Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Lukens, Marshall, Phillips, Ricks, Rutinel, Sirota,
Stewart K., Stewart R., Titone, Valdez, McCluskie;
also SENATOR(S) Bridges and Lundeen, Bright, Exum, Frizell,
Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Michaelson Jenet, Rodriguez, Weissman,
Winter F., Coleman.
C
ONCERNING AUTHORIZING EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE TO OFFER
AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE
.
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) Over the past decade, higher education in the United States has
expanded its ability to meet the needs of students through adjustments to the
role and mission of its institutions and through innovations in workforce
training and education, including the expansion of apprenticeship
opportunities;
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) Colorado has been at the forefront of these innovations, and the
state's institutions have played a critical role in developing programs that
address the needs of today's learners;
(c) Emily Griffith technical college plays an integral role in
Colorado's education system, providing career-relevant training and
instruction that includes registered apprenticeships;
(d) Registered apprenticeships offer learners high-quality career
pathways through paid hands-on work in a chosen field. Through registered
apprenticeships, learners gain the skills and competencies to make informed
choices about their futures while employers build their talent pipelines.
(e) While registered apprenticeships can give students a valuable,
nationally recognized credential, many Emily Griffith learners complete
apprenticeship programs just a few general education credits shy of an
applied associate degree;
(f) According to data from the Georgetown University Center on
Education and the Workforce, students in many high-demand applied
associate degree programs have higher earning potential than those with
certificates or high school diplomas;
(g) According to a 50-state analysis conducted in 2021 by Advance
CTE, over a quarter of responding states reported that their area technical
colleges offered associate degrees; and
(h) Allowing Emily Griffith technical college to build on its
apprenticeship programs by adding associate degrees to its offerings gives
learners greater access to the job market and promotes lifelong learning.
Programmatic growth at this vital institution is necessary to ensure that
Colorado's higher education landscape continues to serve the needs of
today's learners and employers.
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 23-60-211, add (6) as
follows:
23-60-211. Degrees. (6) P
URSUANT TO SECTION 23-60-804, THE
EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAY OFFER AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED
SCIENCE DEGREE
.
PAGE 2-HOUSE BILL 25-1221 SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 23-60-804 as
follows:
23-60-804. Emily Griffith technical college - associate of applied
science degree program - definitions. (1) A
S USED IN THIS SECTION,
UNLESS THE CONTEXT OTHERWISE REQUIRES :
(a) "B
OARD" MEANS THE STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES
AND OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION CREATED IN SECTION
23-60-104.
(b) "D
EGREE PROGRAM" MEANS A DEGREE PROGRAM OFFERED BY
THE
EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (2) OF
THIS SECTION THAT CONFERS AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE
.
(2) T
HE EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAY , WITH BOARD
APPROVAL
, OFFER AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM TO
STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN A REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
.
(3) T
HE DEGREE PROGRAM MUST :
(a) I
NCLUDE A REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM WITHIN ITS
CURRICULAR DESIGN
;
(b) I
NCLUDE SUFFICIENT TRANSFERABLE GENERAL EDUCATION
COURSES TO COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DESIGNATED DEGREE
PROGRAM
, AS APPLICABLE, AND PURSUANT TO THE GUARANTEED TRANSFER
PATHWAYS MATRIX DESCRIBED IN SECTION
23-1-108.5 OR A STATEWIDE
DEGREE TRANSFER AGREEMENT
;
(c) A
LIGN WITH HIGH-NEED, HIGH-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS AS
IDENTIFIED BY STUDENT DEMAND AND THE MOST RECENT
COLORADO
TALENT REPORT CREATED PURSUANT TO SECTION
24-46.3-103 (3); AND
(d) BE SUBMITTED TO THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER
EDUCATION FOR INCLUSION IN STATEWIDE PUBLICATIONS OF ACADEMIC
DEGREE PROGRAMS AND THE GUARANTEED TRANSFER PATHWAYS MATRIX
DESCRIBED IN SECTION
23-1-108.5, AS APPLICABLE.
(4) (a) B
EFORE THE EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAY
OFFER AN ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE PURSUANT TO
PAGE 3-HOUSE BILL 25-1221 SUBSECTION (2) OF THIS SECTION, THE EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE
SHALL DETERMINE THE PROGRAM DESIGNATION FOR THE DEGREE
.
(b) A
FTER DETERMINING THE PROGRAM DESIGNATION FOR THE
ASSOCIATE OF APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION
(4)(a)
OF THIS SECTION, THE EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE SHALL SUBMIT
THE DEGREE PROGRAM TO THE BOARD FOR THE BOARD
'S REVIEW AND
APPROVAL
. THE EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE MAY OFFER THE
DEGREE PROGRAM ONLY AFTER THE DE GREE PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED
BY THE BOARD
.
(5) (a) I
N DECIDING WHETHER TO APPROVE A REQUEST BY THE EMILY
GRIFFITH TECHNICAL COLLEGE TO OFFER A DEGREE PROGRAM PURSUANT TO
SUBSECTION
(4)(b) OF THIS SECTION, THE BOARD SHALL CONSIDER ONLY THE
FOLLOWING CRITERIA
:
(I) S
TUDENT AND WORKFORCE DEMAND ;
(II) A
LIGNMENT OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM WITH OTHER REGISTERED
APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE
EMILY GRIFFITH TECHNICAL
COLLEGE
;
(III) C
OST-EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM FOR THE
STUDENTS AND THE STATE
; AND
(IV) ACCREDITATION AND LICENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE
DEGREE PROGRAM
.
(b) T
HE BOARD SHALL NOTIFY THE COLORADO COMMISSION ON
HIGHER EDUCATION OF EACH DEGREE PROGRAM THAT THE BOARD APPROVES
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION
.
(6) C
ONSISTENT WITH THE STATEWIDE MASTER PLAN CREATED
PURSUANT TO SECTION
23-1-108 (1.5), A DEGREE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IS ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE FUNDS THROUGH THE
FEDERAL
"CARL D. PERKINS CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2006", 20 U.S.C. SEC. 2301 ET SEQ.
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
PAGE 4-HOUSE BILL 25-1221 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
November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official
declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.
____________________________ ____________________________
Julie McCluskie James Rashad Coleman, Sr.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF
OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE
____________________________ ____________________________
Vanessa Reilly Esther van Mourik
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 5-HOUSE BILL 25-1221