Career and Technical Education Opportunity Act

Bill: 114-s-2064
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]
Introduced: 2015-09-22
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Education programs funding

Employee hiring

Employment and training programs

Higher education

Licensing and registrations

Teaching, teachers, curricula

Vocational and technical education
Latest action: action_date: 2015-09-22
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-09-22
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Career and Technical Education Opportunity Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the programs eligible to participate in federal student aid.</p> <p>Specifically, it makes eligible for Direct Loan program and Federal Perkins Loan program participation an educational program that provides at least 250 hours of instruction over a minimum of 5 weeks that leads to an industry-recognized credential.</p> <p>An industry-recognized credential: (1) is high quality, as demonstrated by the institution offering the program; (2) meets local or regional workforce needs; and (3) is endorsed by a national industry trade association. </p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2064 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 22, 2015 Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mr. Brown , Mr. Casey , and Mr. Kaine ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand the definition of eligible program.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Career and Technical Education Opportunity Act . 2. Expansion of eligible programs The Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) is amended— (1) in section 481(b), by adding at the end the following: (5) (A) For purposes of parts D and E, the term eligible program includes a program of not less than 250 clock hours of instruction, offered during a minimum of 5 weeks of instruction that leads an industry-recognized credential. (B) In this paragraph, the term industry-recognized credential means an industry-recognized credential that— (i) is demonstrated to be of high quality by the institution offering the program in the program participation agreement under section 487; (ii) meets the current, as of the date of the determination, or projected needs of a local or regional workforce for recruitment, screening, hiring, retention, or advancement purposes— (I) as determined by the State in which the program is located, in consultation with business entities; or (II) as demonstrated by the institution offering the program leading to the credential; and (iii) is, where applicable, endorsed by a nationally recognized trade association or organization representing a significant part of the industry or sector. ; and (2) in section 487(a), by adding at the end the following: (30) In the case of an institution that offers a program of not less than 250 clock hours of instruction, offered during a minimum of 5 weeks of instruction that leads an industry-recognized credential, as provided under section 481(b)(5), the institution will demonstrate to the Secretary that the industry-recognized credential is of high quality. .