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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T



SPONSOR: Stapleton DATE TYPED: 01/24/00 HB 73
SHORT TITLE: Career Opportunities System SB
ANALYST: Baca


APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY00 FY01 FY00 FY01
$ 1,000.0 Recurring GF



(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to



SOURCES OF INFORMATION



LFC files

State Department of Education analysis of nearly identical bill passed during 1999 session.



SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



House Bill 73 appropriates $1,000.0 to the Vocational Education Division of the SDE for the implementation of a career education opportunities systems that prepares students for employment in high skill and high wage jobs through a program of study leading to a two-year post-secondary degree or certificate program.



Significant Issues



The bill requires the funds be used for the following: 1) to implement or improve technical education programs that develop employability skills; 2) to prepare students to achieve national skills standards leading to two-year degrees or certifications in chosen high tech career fields; 3) to upgrade purchase equipment and materials meeting industry standards; 4) to implement performance-based accountability reporting and 5) to meet maintenance of effort requirements of the federal Carl D. Perkins Act..



FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



House Bill 73 reduces the general fund by $1,000.0 . Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2001 shall revert to the general fund.



The funds shall be awarded to schools based on a competitive process with criteria to be established by SDE.



ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS



According to the SDE's 1999analysis, local school districts and SDE will administer the program with existing staff.



OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES



In its 1999 analysis, SDE reports that 76 of 89 school districts believe that capital outlay funding is not adequate to cover the cost of vocational laboratory equipment and, consequently, is a major barrier to preparing students for future careers.



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