Bill > HB517

This bill, known as the Talent Readiness and Industry Needs (TRAIN) Act, aims to address shortages in career and technical education (CTE) instructors by allowing qualified industry professionals to teach in these programs and providing incentives for employers. Specifically, it establishes a "workforce teaching certificate" for individuals with at least three years of relevant occupational experience and a bachelor's degree or equivalent, who also pass a background check, enabling them to teach designated CTE programs in high-demand sectors at eligible educational institutions like community colleges and public high schools. To encourage employers to loan these "qualified employees" for teaching assignments, the bill creates a tax credit, offsetting income, financial institution excise, or state license taxes, equal to the portion of the employee's salary paid by the employer during the teaching assignment, with certain limitations including a statewide annual cap of $10 million and a per-employer cap of $250,000. Employers must enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the educational institution detailing the terms of the assignment, including the employer continuing to pay the employee's full salary and benefits, and the educational institution providing necessary resources. The bill also outlines administrative processes for approving programs and issuing tax credit reservation certificates, and requires annual reporting on the program's effectiveness, with the tax credit provisions set to expire on December 31, 2031, unless extended by legislation.

Budget and Finance

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