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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
appropriation; STEM; learning; workforce development
Purpose
Directs the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to administer a grant program for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and workforce development. Appropriates $3 million from the state General Fund (GF) in FY 2022 to the ACA for the grant program.
Background
The ACA develops and updates annual long-term economic plans for Arizona and submits those plans to the Governor. The ACA is required to: 1) set and collect application fees, registry fees and security deposits; 2) establish full-time positions; 3) educate entrepreneurs about licensure requirements; 4) post annual website reports; 5) administer grants; and 6) disclose requested information to the Office of Economic Opportunity. The ACA is overseen by a public-private sector board composed of Arizona leaders in business and policy (A.R.S. § 41-1504; ACA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural-Urban Continuum Codes form a classification scheme that distinguishes metropolitan counties by the population size of the metro area and nonmetropolitan counties by degree of urbanization and adjacency to a metro area. Each county in the U.S. is assigned to one of nine codes, of which, there are three metro and six nonmetro categories. The Rural-Urban Continuum Codes are updated every 10 years and are planned to be updated in 2023 (USDA).
H.B. 2017 appropriates $3,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the ACA to administer a grant program for STEM learning and workforce development.
Provisions
1. Directs the ACA to administer a grant program to cultivate STEM learning and workforce development opportunities in Arizona to build STEM networks and leverage community assets, with priority given to rural and semi-rural areas.
2. Appropriates $3 million from the state GF in FY 2022 to the ACA to administer a grant program.
3. Directs the ACA to maximize and connect STEM learning and workforce development opportunities provided by:
a) county entities with an established network of cross-institutional business, education, community and government partners;
b) schools and school districts for the purpose of teacher training in STEM literacy;
c) out-of-school programs that cultivate a community STEM network;
d) museums and science centers with STEM expertise;
e) higher education institutions offering STEM field workplace development; and
f) other entities that recognize the need for ACA-recognized STEM competencies.
4. Requires the ACA, in categorizing rural and semi-rural areas, to use the USDA's most recent rural-urban continuum code scheme and recognize:
a) codes one and two as urban;
b) codes three through five as semi-rural; and
c) codes six through ten as rural.
5. Requires the ACA, by December 31, 2021, to submit a report to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the distribution of grant monies, with a copy provided to the Secretary of State.
6. States that the Legislature intends for the appropriation made in this act to be considered ongoing funding in future years.
7. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
8. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
APPROP 1/20/21 DP 9-4-0-0
3rd Read 2/23/21 50-10-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 19, 2021
JO/JP/gs