The Senate met Wednesday morning and unanimously passed a higher education bill and was reported to the House of Delegates.
Senate Bill 1 relates to increasing accesses to career education and workforce training for the citizens of West Virginia. This bill would specifically impact community and technical colleges throughout the state. The bill would the establish the Advanced Career Education (ACE) programs and creates the West Virginia Invests Grant Program.
The ACE will prepare students in secondary schools for community and technical college for an associate’s degree or work certification. The program would require pathways that consist of a curriculum of courses leading to an associate degree or certification that has been determined to satisfy an area of workforce need as determined the Department of Commerce.
The WV Invests Grants will provide tuition assistance to qualifying students who pursue higher education at a community or technical college. The bill also provides a provision for the Grant that people who graduate with assistance from the Grant must reside in the state for a minimum of two years. If they chose to leave the state, they will then be required to pay back the grant.
The Senate also passed three other bills that were reported to the House.
Senate Bill 18 relates to crimes committed on State Capitol Complex. The bill would remove the requirement that a person must have a valid concealed handgun license to lawfully keep a firearm in their vehicle on the Capitol grounds.
Senate Bill 255 relates to the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Committee. The bill would add three more members to the committee.
Senate Bill 354 would expire $1.5 million dollars from the Auditor’s Offices’ Securities Regulation fund and re appropriate them to the Auditor’s Office Chief Inspector’s Fund.
Senate Bills 394 to 409 were also introduced today.
The Senate is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, Jan. 24.
The following committees will meet today:
Economic Development at 1 p.m. in 208W
Agriculture at 2 p.m. in 208W
Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M
Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W
The following committees will meet tomorrow:
Finance at 9:30 a.m. in 451M
Health at 1 p.m. in 451M
Education at 2 p.m. in 451M
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