Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB05668 Compare Versions

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7	7		General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5668
8	8		January Session, 2021
9	9		LCO No. 4394
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12	12		Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
13	13		EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
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15	15
16	16		Introduced by:
17	17		(HED)
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21	21		AN ACT REQUIRING THE OFFICE OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO
22	22		ESTABLISH A MICROCREDENTIAL PILO T PROGRAM.
23	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
24	24		Assembly convened:
25	25
26	26		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) As used in this section: 1
27	27		(1) "Microcredential" means a digital badge earned in six months or 2
28	28		less through completion of for-credit or noncredit coursework and 3
29	29		demonstrated mastery of a specific skill; 4
30	30		(2) "Digital badge" means an indicator of accomplishment or skill that 5
31	31		can be displayed, accessed and verified online; and 6
32	32		(3) "Microcredential provider" means an institution of higher 7
33	33		education, an employer in the state, a professional association or other 8
34	34		entity that develops and offers a microcredential. 9
35	35		(b) Not later than January 1, 2022, the Office of Higher Education, in 10
36	36		consultation with the Board of Regents for Higher Education, shall 11
37		-	establish a pilot program to develop a virtual platform on which 12 Committee Bill No. 5668
	37	+	establish a pilot program to develop a virtual platform on which 12
	38	+	microcredentials may be earned or renewed by state residents and 13
	39	+	Committee Bill No. 5668
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44		-	microcredentials may be earned or renewed by state residents and 13
45	44		offered by microcredential providers. The office may enter into a 14
46	45		contract with a third-party administrator to develop and administer the 15
47	46		virtual platform. Any such third-party administrator shall be required 16
48	47		under such contract to charge such third-party administrator's lowest 17
49	48		available rate for such services. Such virtual platform shall include, but 18
50	49		not be limited to, (1) a catalog of the available microcredentials with 19
51	50		information submitted by the microcredential provider pursuant to 20
52	51		subsection (c) of this section, (2) an access portal for a microcredential 21
53	52		provider to develop and offer microcredentials, (3) an access portal for 22
54	53		state residents to (A) earn or renew microcredentials, (B) share the 23
55	54		receipt of microcredentials with employers or institutions of higher 24
56	55		education, and (C) submit applications for jobs opportunities posted on 25
57	56		the virtual platform, (4) an access portal for employers in the state to 26
58	57		post job opportunities that require skills which may be demonstrated 27
59	58		through one or more microcredentials, (5) online support for all users of 28
60	59		the virtual platform, and (6) a means for employers and institutions of 29
61	60		higher education to prepurchase microcredentials for distribution to 30
62	61		employees or students. 31
63	62		(c) Each user of the virtual platform shall register in the form and 32
64	63		manner prescribed by the Office of Higher Education. Each 33
65	64		microcredential provider shall submit information for each new 34
66	65		microcredential offered by such provider, including, but not limited to, 35
67	66		(1) the name of the microcredential, (2) whether the microcredential is 36
68	67		industry-recognized, (3) whether a microcredential is offered through 37
69	68		synchronous or asynchronous coursework, (4) the enrollment fee, if any, 38
70	69		provided such fee shall not exceed an amount established by the office, 39
71	70		(5) the expected time for completion, (6) any required prerequisites, 40
72	71		provided related work experience shall be allowed in lieu of course 41
73	72		prerequisites whenever possible, (7) the effective period of a 42
74	73		microcredential if such microcredential is for a limited duration, (8) the 43
75	74		rubric by which a microcredential provider evaluates whether an 44
76	75		enrolled student successfully demonstrated mastery of the skill related 45
77		-	to the microcredential, and (9) if the microcredential provider is an 46 Committee Bill No. 5668
	76	+	to the microcredential, and (9) if the microcredential provider is an 46
	77	+	institution of higher education, the number college credits earned upon 47
	78	+	Committee Bill No. 5668
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84		-	institution of higher education, the number college credits earned upon 47
85	83		completion and the career pathway for such microcredential, including, 48
86	84		but not limited to, certificate or degree programs to which any 49
87	85		completed credits may be applied. 50
88	86		(d) The Office of Higher Education may deny access to the virtual 51
89	87		platform to any microcredential provider that offers one or more 52
90	88		microcredentials that do not meet the academic or industry standards 53
91	89		of employers and institutions of higher education in the state. The office 54
92	90		shall establish a process by which such microcredential provider may 55
93	91		appeal the office's denial of access. 56
94	92		(e) The Office of Higher Education shall consult with the Department 57
95	93		of Economic and Community Development and the Labor Department 58
96	94		to identify shortages in the state labor market and solicit the 59
97	95		participation of microcredential providers to offer microcredentials on 60
98	96		the virtual platform to meet such shortages. 61
99	97		(f) Not later than six months after a person has completed a 62
100	98		microcredential, the Office of Higher Education shall distribute a survey 63
101	99		to such person which shall include, but not be limited to, questions 64
102	100		regarding such person's (1) goals for completing the microcredential, (2) 65
103	101		employment status, (3) experience with the coursework and the virtual 66
104	102		platform, and (4) intention to use the virtual platform in the future to 67
105	103		earn other microcredentials or to seek employment. 68
106	104		(g) Each employer posting job opportunities on the virtual platform 69
107	105		shall submit a fee in an amount established by the Office of Higher 70
108	106		Education for each such posting. Any enrollment fee or job posting fee 71
109	107		shall be deposited into the microcredential account established 72
110	108		pursuant to subsection (h) of this section. The fees paid to the 73
111	109		microcredential account shall be expended by the office to compensate 74
112	110		microcredential providers and for reasonable and necessary expenses 75
113	111		for the administration of the virtual platform. 76
114		-	(h) There is established an account to be known as the 77 Committee Bill No. 5668
	112	+	(h) There is established an account to be known as the 77
	113	+	"microcredential account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account 78
	114	+	Committee Bill No. 5668
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121		-	"microcredential account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account 78
122	119		within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys 79
123	120		required by law to be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account 80
124	121		shall be expended by the Office of Higher Education as set forth in 81
125	122		subsection (g) of this section. 82
126	123		(i) Not later than January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, until 83
127	124		January 1, 2026, the Office of Higher Education shall submit a report, in 84
128	125		accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, 85
129	126		to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 86
130	127		cognizance of matters relating to higher education. Such report shall 87
131	128		include (1) the catalog of microcredentials available on the virtual 88
132	129		platform, highlighting any new microcredentials offered and any 89
133	130		microcredentials ceased during the prior year, (2) the number of users 90
134	131		who registered on the virtual platform by type of user, (3) the number 91
135	132		of students who enrolled and the number of students who completed 92
136	133		each microcredential, (4) the results of the student survey conducted 93
137	134		pursuant to subsection (f) of this section, and (5) in the final report, the 94
138	135		office's decision on whether to establish the pilot program permanently 95
139	136		or whether to terminate the pilot program. 96
140	137		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
141	138		sections:
142	139
143	140		Section 1 July 1, 2021 New section
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145		-	HED Joint Favorable
	142	+	Statement of Purpose:
	143	+	To require the Office of Higher Education to establish a pilot program
	144	+	to develop a virtual platform on which state residents can earn
	145	+	microcredentials.
	146	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	147	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	148	+	underlined.]
	149	+
	150	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. MCCARTHY VAHEY, 133rd Dist.
	151	+
	152	+	H.B. 5668
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	154	+	Committee Bill No. 5668
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