Bill > HB1627

This bill modifies the structure and operations of the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council (CTE Advisory Council) within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The bill changes the council's composition from sixteen to an unspecified number of Missouri residents, adds the commissioner of higher education as a mandatory member, and expands business representation. The council will now include four business representatives, three career and technical education teachers from various student organizations, and adds a new student-services representative position. The term length for appointed members is reduced from five years to three years, with a limit of two terms. Legislative representation remains four members, with balanced partisan appointments from the senate and house of representatives. The bill reduces the number of mandatory meetings from four to two annually and simplifies the ex officio membership by removing specific named positions in favor of three unspecified department of elementary and secondary education employees. The council's responsibilities remain focused on developing strategic plans, identifying workforce training needs, promoting career and technical education, and providing legislative recommendations. The bill also mandates increased transparency by requiring meeting materials and records to be posted online in accordance with public records laws.