| 1 | 1 | | HOUSE BILL NO. 4377 A bill to amend 2020 PA 68, entitled "Michigan reconnect grant recipient act," by amending sections 11, 15, and 21 (MCL 390.1711, 390.1715, and 390.1721), as amended by 2022 PA 252. the people of the state of michigan enact: Sec. 11. (1) This act may be cited as the "Michigan reconnect grant recipient act". (2) The reconnect initiative and the reconnect program created respectively in this act and the Michigan reconnect grant act, 2020 PA 84, MCL 390.1701 to 390.1709, are intended to provide last-dollar financial assistance to individuals who, subject to sections 15(a) and 21(1)(e)(ii)(A), are age 25 21 and older seeking and seek associate degrees or industry-recognized certificates or credentials; to provide those individuals with greater access to the education and skills needed to succeed in, and meet the demands of, an evolving economy in which there is continuing demand for a talented local workforce; to drive innovations specific to adult learners in this state's community colleges; to mitigate educational equity gaps in the furtherance of individual prosperity; and to achieve the goal of increasing the number of residents ages 25 to 64 with a college degree or skill certificate or credential to 60% by 2030. Sec. 15. To establish initial eligibility for a Michigan reconnect grant, an individual must meet all of the following conditions by the date of his or her the individual's enrollment described in subdivision (d): (a) Be at least 25 years old. If sufficient funds are appropriated to expand the reconnect program, this minimum-age criterion may be reduced to as low as 21. A reduced minimum-age criterion under this subdivision may not be applied after the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2032. (b) Be a resident of this state for at least the immediately preceding year. (c) Have graduated from high school with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate. As used in this subdivision, "high school equivalency certificate" means that term as defined in section 4 of the school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1604. (d) Be admitted to, and enrolled in, a Pell-eligible program at an eligible institution leading to an associate degree or industry-recognized certificate or credential. (e) Not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree. (f) Timely complete a Michigan reconnect grant application in a form and manner determined by the department. (g) Timely file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the enrollment period described in subdivision (d). (h) Timely apply for all available gift aid for the enrollment period described in subdivision (d). Sec. 21. (1) The reconnect short-term training program is created in the department for the purpose of providing skills scholarships to individuals eligible for those scholarships under this section. The department shall do all of the following: (a) Develop and implement a process by which those seeking to participate in the reconnect short-term training program as a training institution offering qualified occupational training programs must apply to the department. (b) Approve as a qualified occupational training program a program for which an application is submitted under subdivision (a) that meets all of the criteria in section 13(i), and post these criteria to the department's website. (c) Require that training institutions accepted to participate in the reconnect short-term training program comply with data requests from the department as a condition to continued participation. For purposes of this subdivision, the department shall require institutions operating apprenticeship programs subject to this act to provide data that tracks relevant work experience required to verify a student's status as an apprentice. (d) Maintain on its website a list of all qualified occupational training program options available to potential skills scholarship recipients. (e) Award skills scholarships, subject to all of the following: (i) A skills scholarship is a 1-time grant not to exceed $1,500.00 to contribute to tuition costs for a qualified occupational training program at a training institution, both of which are approved under this section, for a training program participant who meets the requirements of subparagraph (ii). A skills scholarship must not exceed the full amount of the tuition charged for the training program. (ii) To receive the skills scholarship described in subparagraph (i), a qualified occupational training program participant must meet all of the following: (A) Be at least 25 years old. If sufficient funds are appropriated to expand the reconnect program, this minimum-age criterion may be reduced to as low as 21. A reduced minimum-age criterion under this sub-subparagraph may not be applied after the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2032. (B) Be a resident of this state for at least the immediately preceding year. (C) Have graduated from high school with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate. As used in this sub-subparagraph, "high school equivalency certificate" means that term as defined in section 4 of the school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1604. (D) Not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree. (E) Timely complete a reconnect short-term training program scholarship application in a form and manner determined by the department. (iii) The department may award skills scholarships under this section only until money appropriated to the reconnect short-term training program has been fully committed. (f) Inform each recipient of a skills scholarship that he or she the recipient will remain eligible for the Michigan reconnect grant program to pursue an associate degree or occupational certificate upon completion of a qualified occupational training program at a training institution, and that community colleges will work to convert the coursework completed at that training institution into community college credit wherever possible. (2) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (3), the department shall promulgate rules to implement subsection (1)(a), (b), and (c) only, pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, subject to all of the following: (a) Under subsection (1)(a), the department is limited to developing the form for the application described in subsection (1)(a) and prescribing the time and manner of its completion. (b) Under subsection (1)(b), the department is limited to applying the eligibility criteria described in subsection (1)(b) and shall not apply any other eligibility criteria. (c) Under subsection (1)(c), the department is limited to requiring compliance with data requests as described in subsection (1)(c). (3) To facilitate implementation of the Michigan reconnect grant program prior to final rules being adopted, the department may develop and administer the reconnect short-term training program in accordance with its proposed rules or other policy or directive of the department established pursuant to this act. Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. ____ (request no. S00937'25 a) or House Bill No. 4378 (request no. H00937'25 a) of the 103rd Legislature is enacted into law. |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE BILL NO. 4377 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A bill to amend 2020 PA 68, entitled |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | "Michigan reconnect grant recipient act," |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | by amending sections 11, 15, and 21 (MCL 390.1711, 390.1715, and 390.1721), as amended by 2022 PA 252. |
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| 10 | 10 | | |
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| 11 | 11 | | the people of the state of michigan enact: |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 11. (1) This act may be cited as the "Michigan reconnect grant recipient act". |
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| 14 | 14 | | |
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| 15 | 15 | | (2) The reconnect initiative and the reconnect program created respectively in this act and the Michigan reconnect grant act, 2020 PA 84, MCL 390.1701 to 390.1709, are intended to provide last-dollar financial assistance to individuals who, subject to sections 15(a) and 21(1)(e)(ii)(A), are age 25 21 and older seeking and seek associate degrees or industry-recognized certificates or credentials; to provide those individuals with greater access to the education and skills needed to succeed in, and meet the demands of, an evolving economy in which there is continuing demand for a talented local workforce; to drive innovations specific to adult learners in this state's community colleges; to mitigate educational equity gaps in the furtherance of individual prosperity; and to achieve the goal of increasing the number of residents ages 25 to 64 with a college degree or skill certificate or credential to 60% by 2030. |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | Sec. 15. To establish initial eligibility for a Michigan reconnect grant, an individual must meet all of the following conditions by the date of his or her the individual's enrollment described in subdivision (d): |
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| 18 | 18 | | |
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| 19 | 19 | | (a) Be at least 25 years old. If sufficient funds are appropriated to expand the reconnect program, this minimum-age criterion may be reduced to as low as 21. A reduced minimum-age criterion under this subdivision may not be applied after the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2032. |
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| 20 | 20 | | |
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| 21 | 21 | | (b) Be a resident of this state for at least the immediately preceding year. |
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| 22 | 22 | | |
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| 23 | 23 | | (c) Have graduated from high school with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate. As used in this subdivision, "high school equivalency certificate" means that term as defined in section 4 of the school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1604. |
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| 24 | 24 | | |
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| 25 | 25 | | (d) Be admitted to, and enrolled in, a Pell-eligible program at an eligible institution leading to an associate degree or industry-recognized certificate or credential. |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | (e) Not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree. |
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| 28 | 28 | | |
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| 29 | 29 | | (f) Timely complete a Michigan reconnect grant application in a form and manner determined by the department. |
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| 30 | 30 | | |
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| 31 | 31 | | (g) Timely file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the enrollment period described in subdivision (d). |
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| 32 | 32 | | |
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| 33 | 33 | | (h) Timely apply for all available gift aid for the enrollment period described in subdivision (d). |
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| 34 | 34 | | |
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| 35 | 35 | | Sec. 21. (1) The reconnect short-term training program is created in the department for the purpose of providing skills scholarships to individuals eligible for those scholarships under this section. The department shall do all of the following: |
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| 36 | 36 | | |
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| 37 | 37 | | (a) Develop and implement a process by which those seeking to participate in the reconnect short-term training program as a training institution offering qualified occupational training programs must apply to the department. |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) Approve as a qualified occupational training program a program for which an application is submitted under subdivision (a) that meets all of the criteria in section 13(i), and post these criteria to the department's website. |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) Require that training institutions accepted to participate in the reconnect short-term training program comply with data requests from the department as a condition to continued participation. For purposes of this subdivision, the department shall require institutions operating apprenticeship programs subject to this act to provide data that tracks relevant work experience required to verify a student's status as an apprentice. |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | (d) Maintain on its website a list of all qualified occupational training program options available to potential skills scholarship recipients. |
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| 44 | 44 | | |
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| 45 | 45 | | (e) Award skills scholarships, subject to all of the following: |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | (i) A skills scholarship is a 1-time grant not to exceed $1,500.00 to contribute to tuition costs for a qualified occupational training program at a training institution, both of which are approved under this section, for a training program participant who meets the requirements of subparagraph (ii). A skills scholarship must not exceed the full amount of the tuition charged for the training program. |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | (ii) To receive the skills scholarship described in subparagraph (i), a qualified occupational training program participant must meet all of the following: |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | (A) Be at least 25 years old. If sufficient funds are appropriated to expand the reconnect program, this minimum-age criterion may be reduced to as low as 21. A reduced minimum-age criterion under this sub-subparagraph may not be applied after the state fiscal year ending September 30, 2032. |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | (B) Be a resident of this state for at least the immediately preceding year. |
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| 54 | 54 | | |
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| 55 | 55 | | (C) Have graduated from high school with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate. As used in this sub-subparagraph, "high school equivalency certificate" means that term as defined in section 4 of the school aid act of 1979, 1979 PA 94, MCL 388.1604. |
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| 56 | 56 | | |
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| 57 | 57 | | (D) Not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree. |
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| 58 | 58 | | |
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| 59 | 59 | | (E) Timely complete a reconnect short-term training program scholarship application in a form and manner determined by the department. |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | (iii) The department may award skills scholarships under this section only until money appropriated to the reconnect short-term training program has been fully committed. |
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| 62 | 62 | | |
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| 63 | 63 | | (f) Inform each recipient of a skills scholarship that he or she the recipient will remain eligible for the Michigan reconnect grant program to pursue an associate degree or occupational certificate upon completion of a qualified occupational training program at a training institution, and that community colleges will work to convert the coursework completed at that training institution into community college credit wherever possible. |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | (2) Except as otherwise provided under subsection (3), the department shall promulgate rules to implement subsection (1)(a), (b), and (c) only, pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, subject to all of the following: |
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| 66 | 66 | | |
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| 67 | 67 | | (a) Under subsection (1)(a), the department is limited to developing the form for the application described in subsection (1)(a) and prescribing the time and manner of its completion. |
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| 68 | 68 | | |
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| 69 | 69 | | (b) Under subsection (1)(b), the department is limited to applying the eligibility criteria described in subsection (1)(b) and shall not apply any other eligibility criteria. |
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| 70 | 70 | | |
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| 71 | 71 | | (c) Under subsection (1)(c), the department is limited to requiring compliance with data requests as described in subsection (1)(c). |
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| 72 | 72 | | |
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| 73 | 73 | | (3) To facilitate implementation of the Michigan reconnect grant program prior to final rules being adopted, the department may develop and administer the reconnect short-term training program in accordance with its proposed rules or other policy or directive of the department established pursuant to this act. |
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| 74 | 74 | | |
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| 75 | 75 | | Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect unless Senate Bill No. ____ (request no. S00937'25 a) or House Bill No. 4378 (request no. H00937'25 a) of the 103rd Legislature is enacted into law. |
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