= passed in PA House
To ensure students have access to successful careers,
House Bill 265 was amended to include several career and technical education bills and was signed into law.
Act 76 of 2019, formerly House Bill 265, enhances job training and workforce development, while also providing high school and college students with access to information regarding the transfer policies of other educational institutions, with the goal being to save them time and money.
This law also simplifies the process for schools to establish vocational courses; creates a Schools-to-Work program to develop employment and training pathways; requires guidelines for the application of STEM course credits; requires the Department of Education to outline the state’s workforce needs, including training opportunities and future earning potential; and allow representatives from community colleges and CTE schools equal access to meet with students during career and college fairs.
The bills that were amended into House Bill 265 are:
House Bills 297,
334,
393,
394,
395 and
796.
Focus on Workers/Job Providers:Training dollars must support programs which retrain displaced workers with the skills needed to fill available jobs – putting dollars where they actually work.
- HB 719: Streamline the Second Stage Loan Program to provide accountability for loan use by requiring reporting data on the jobs created and kept in PA.
Realigning educational, vocational and labor systems so that our businesses, industries and people can experience success in employment and growth.
- HB 25: “CareerBound” Program to empower local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), school partners and business partners to collaboratively develop school-to-work- programs.
- HB 501: Require local WIBs to implement program accountability measures.
- HB 138: Allows Physical Therapy students to take their licensing exam prior to graduation.
- HB 64: Allows professional and occupational licenses to carry over excess continuing education credits.
- HB 573: Allows the State Board of Nursing to approve graduates of foreign professional nursing education programs to sit for the RN licensure examination.
- HR 110: Urges Congress and the President to enact legislation to make apprenticeships in the trades more affordable.
- HB 324: Micro-Enterprise Development.
Improving career and technical education (CTE) opportunities will help prepare students and workers for the in-demand jobs of today and tomorrow. The House Education Committee developed a package of bills to ensure the state’s workforce is prepared to meet the needs of evolving business communities.
- HB 297: Increases awareness of workforce needs.
- HB 265: Articulation agreements in Pennsylvania.
- HB 334: Increases flexibility for secondary CTE programs.
- HB 393: Comprehensive online CTE resource center.
- HB 394: Coordinates state-level career exploration and workforce development opportunities.
- HB 395: Improves occupational advisory committee.
- HB 396: Adds at least one K-12 career and technical center administrator as a member to each Workforce Development Board.
- HB 522: Tax credits for CTE-related opportunities.
- HB TBD: Ensures that professional educators who provide secondary transition services are highly qualified and well-trained (post-secondary education or training, employment and community living).
- HB TBD: Dual Enrollment for cyber/charters and trade/tech schools.