Assigned to FS & APPROP                                                                                                             FOR COMMITTEE

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Forty-seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2613

education and training vouchers; appropriation

Purpose

            Requires the Department of Economic Security (DES) to establish an educational case management unit and appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2006-2007 to DES for Education and Training Vouchers for postsecondary education.

Background

            Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) are provided to assist foster youth and former foster youth with expenses related to education or training programs. To qualify for an ETV, young adults must have been in foster care at the age of 16 or 17 and must enroll in a postsecondary program recognized by the Arizona Department of Education. Recognized postsecondary programs include community colleges, public or private colleges, universities, private technical and vocational schools and public vocational schools. There must be a financial need in order to receive an ETV.  The application process considers school, training and living expenses in addition to the young adult’s income and financial resources. Young adults may receive financial assistance until they reach the age of 21; however, if a young adult is in a recognized program at the time of the 21^st birthday, they may continue receiving assistance for that program until they reach the age of 23.  Arizona receives federal grants for ETVs, and in federal FY 2005 Arizona received $680,000.  Currently, the ETV program does not receive state appropriated funds.

            The Independent Living Program (ILP) assists young adults in foster care to make successful transitions into their communities and become self-sufficient. The ILP helps youth pursue goals related to education, employment, training, housing and physical and mental health, and may include financial support.  ILP services are available to both 17 year old youths who are currently in foster care and young adults ages 18 to 20 who were in foster care when they were teenagers. ILP assistance and support is delivered through DES case managers as well as contract providers.

            This legislation appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2006-2007 to DES for ETVs for postsecondary education. There may be a fiscal impact to DES associated with establishing the educational case management unit.

Provisions

1. Requires DES to establish an educational case management unit consisting of two case managers to develop and coordinate educational case management plans for youths participating in the ILP and to assist the youths to graduate from high school, pass the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Test, and apply for postsecondary education and financial assistance.

2. Requires DES to prepare a written report by March 1 of each year containing the following information from the previous calendar year:

a) the number of children in the ILP.

b) the number of children in the ILP by: a) age and grade; b) county of residence; c) who have graduated from high school; d) who have received a general equivalency diploma; and e) who have enrolled in postsecondary education.

3. Requires DES to provide copies of the report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of State and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records.

4. Appropriates $500,000 from the state General Fund in FY 2006-2007 to DES for ETVs for postsecondary education and exempts the appropriation from lapsing.

5. Makes a technical change.

6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

APPROP (B)  2/21/06     DPA     13-0-0-2-0

3^rd Read           3/13/06                   55-5-0-0

Prepared by Senate Research

March 23, 2006

KM/JR/ac