SF 2719

as introduced - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/28/2014 08:53am

A bill for an act
relating to education; establishing programs to increase STEM competitiveness;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, by
adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10,
subdivision 1; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 122A.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [122A.76] STEM EDUCATOR LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Definitions. new text end

new text begin (a) For purposes of this section, the terms in this
subdivision have the meanings given them.
new text end

new text begin (b) "Qualified educational loan" means a government, commercial, or foundation
loan for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education expenses, and reasonable living
expenses related to the graduate or undergraduate education of a qualified teacher.
new text end

new text begin (c) "Qualified teacher" means a licensed teacher who:
new text end

new text begin (1) has a license under Minnesota Rules, part 8710.3200, 8710.3320, 8710.3340,
8710.4050, 8710.4500, 8710.4525, 8710.4600, 8710.4750, 8710.4770, or 8710.4850;
new text end

new text begin (2) is teaching science, technology, engineering, or mathematics during the current
school year; and
new text end

new text begin (3) has completed a graduate level course in science, engineering, or mathematics
with a 3.0 or higher grade point average.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Creation of account. new text end

new text begin (a) A STEM educator loan forgiveness program
account is established. The commissioner of education shall use money from the account
to establish a loan forgiveness program.
new text end

new text begin (b) Appropriations made to the account do not cancel and are available until
expended, except that at the end of each biennium, any remaining balance in the account
that is not committed by contract and not needed to fulfill existing commitments shall
cancel to the fund.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Eligibility. new text end

new text begin To be eligible to participate in the loan forgiveness program,
an individual must be a qualified teacher and submit an application to the commissioner
of education.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Loan forgiveness. new text end

new text begin The commissioner of education may select applicants
each year for participation in the loan forgiveness program, within the limits of available
funding. Applicants are responsible for securing their own qualified educational loans.
The commissioner shall select participants, giving preference to qualified teachers in
school districts with below average state mathematics test scores. For each year that
the qualified teacher under subdivision 1 is a participant, up to a maximum of four
years, the commissioner shall make annual disbursements directly to the participant up
to $2,500 per year. Before receiving loan repayment disbursements and as requested,
the participant must complete and return to the commissioner a form provided by the
commissioner verifying that the participant is teaching science, technology, engineering,
or mathematics as required under subdivision 1. The participant must provide the
commissioner with verification that the full amount of loan repayment disbursement
received by the participant has been applied toward the designated loans. After each
disbursement, verification must be received by the commissioner and approved before the
next loan repayment disbursement is made.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Rules. new text end

new text begin The commissioner may adopt rules to implement this section.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective July 1, 2014.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2013 Supplement, section 126C.10, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

General education revenue.

(a) For fiscal years 2013 and 2014, the
general education revenue for each district equals the sum of the district's basic revenue,
extended time revenue, gifted and talented revenue, small schools revenue, basic skills
revenue, secondary sparsity revenue, elementary sparsity revenue, transportation sparsity
revenue, total operating capital revenue, equity revenue, alternative teacher compensation
revenue, and transition revenue.

(b) For fiscal year 2015 and later, the general education revenue for each district
equals the sum of the district's basic revenue, extended time revenue, gifted and
talented revenue, declining enrollment revenue, location equity revenue, small schools
revenue, basic skills revenue, secondary sparsity revenue, elementary sparsity revenue,
transportation sparsity revenue, total operating capital revenue, equity revenue, pension
adjustment revenue, new text begin advanced STEM curriculum revenue, new text end and transition revenue.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.
new text end

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 126C.10, is amended by adding a subdivision
to read:

new text begin Subd. 38. new text end

new text begin Advanced STEM curriculum revenue. new text end

new text begin Advanced STEM curriculum
revenue for a school district in which:
new text end

new text begin (1) 60 percent or greater of the students are eligible for free and reduced-price
lunches; and
new text end

new text begin (2) the district has implemented an advanced STEM curriculum to the standards
of the Department of Education;
new text end

new text begin equals $16 times the district's adjusted pupil units.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective for revenue for fiscal year 2016
and later.
new text end

Sec. 4. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $....... is appropriated in fiscal year 2015 from the general fund to the commissioner
of education to establish the STEM educator loan forgiveness program under Minnesota
Statutes, section 122A.76.
new text end