AB 549

This bill requires the Technical College System Board to award grants in the

2023-25 fiscal biennium to technical colleges to support the recruitment and

retention of instructors in manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and truck

driving programs. The bill requires the TCS Board to award grants to pay hiring

bonuses to such instructors. A grant of up to $5,000 per instructor may fund a hiring

bonus if 1) the instructor is hired into a position that is at least half-time to teach

courses in manufacturing or advanced manufacturing or preparatory to issuance or

upgrade of a commercial driver license; 2) the technical college provides at least an

equal amount of matching funding for the bonus; and 3) the instructor agrees in

writing to continue employment with the technical college for at least three years in

a similar capacity. With exceptions, an instructor who fails to maintain employment

for the three-year period must repay the bonus on a pro rata basis according to the

actual duration of employment. If an instructor who received a hiring bonus remains

employed with the technical college in a similar capacity five years later, the

technical college must pay the instructor, from its own funds, a retention bonus of

$5,000. A technical college that receives a grant award must report certain

information related to the results of its instructor bonuses.

The bill also requires the TCS Board to award one-time grants of up to

$1,000,000 to technical colleges to purchase manufacturing or advanced

manufacturing equipment or to enhance facilities for advanced manufacturing

instruction. A grant may be awarded only if the technical college provides at least

an equal amount of matching funding. A technical college awarded a grant must

submit a report that includes information related to the grant and use of the grant

proceeds.