North Carolina HB 670: Workforce Credential Grant Program/Career and College Pathways.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 670

Short Title: Workforce Credential Grant Program/CCP. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Willis, Pickett, Campbell, and Schietzelt (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Higher Education, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
Operations of the House
April 3, 2025
*H670-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH A CAREER AND COLLEGE PATHWAYS INNOVATION 2
CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. Chapter 115D of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 5
Article to read: 6
"Article 10. 7
"Workforce Grant Programs. 8
"§ 115D-150. Program established. 9
There is established the Career and College Pathways Innovation Challenge Grant Program 10
(Program) to meet statewide educational attainment and workforce development goals by 11
developing local and regional partnerships that foster innovations to accomplish the following: 12
(1) Increase postsecondary enrollment and completion for both students enrolling 13
directly from high school and adults returning to education. 14
(2) Ensure alignment between educational options provided and labor market 15
needs. 16
(3) Eliminate educational opportunity gaps where they exist. 17
"§ 115D-151. Definitions. 18
The following definitions apply in this Article: 19
(1) Approved grant award. – Awards granted to participating community colleges 20
upon approval of a Program application by the State Board. 21
(2) Participating community college. – A community college that submitted an 22
application for the Program that was approved by the State Board. 23
"§ 115D-155. Grant program administration. 24
(a) The State Board of Community Colleges shall adopt necessary rules and policies to 25
administer the Program, including for the following purposes: 26
(1) The administration and awarding of grant funds, based on a competitive grant 27
process, to local and regional partnerships that represent cross-sector 28
collaborations among the Department of Public Instruction, the Community 29
Colleges System Office, The University of North Carolina System Office, 30
local governments, community-based organizations, employers, and other 31
local entities. The design of the Program is to be developed in consultation 32
with the following entities: 33
a. The Division of Workforce Solutions of the Department of Commerce. 34

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 670-First Edition
b. The North Carolina Community Colleges System Office. 1
c. The North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities. 2
d. The University of North Carolina System Office. 3
e. The leadership of MyFutureNC. 4
(2) The use of funds and reporting of expenditures by participating community 5
colleges. In awarding grant funds to participating community colleges, the 6
State Board shall consider applications that propose to do the following: 7
a. Plan and pilot innovative initiatives to raise educational attainment and 8
decrease opportunity gaps. 9
b. Engage community-based organizations and resources. 10
c. Expand the use of work-based learning. 11
d. Provide financial support to cover (i) expenses beyond educational 12
tuition and fees and (ii) other services and supports to encourage 13
students to enroll and to complete education and training. 14
e. Provide local matching funds. 15
(3) The monitoring and control of spending grant funds, including support and 16
technical assistance to participating community colleges. 17
(b) Up to four percent (4%) of the funds appropriated to the Community Colleges System 18
Office for implementation of the Program in each fiscal year may be used for administrative 19
costs. 20
(c) Up to ten percent (10%) of the funds appropriated to the Community Colleges System 21
Office for implementation of the Program in each fiscal year may be used for marketing and 22
communications, including contracting with non-State entities for marketing and 23
communications. 24
"§ 115D-160. Grant amounts. 25
(a) To the extent funds are made available for the Program, the State Board of 26
Community Colleges shall award grants to participating community colleges in an amount up to 27
the lesser of (i) the actual cost associated with an application by a community college or (ii) two 28
hundred thousand dollars ($200,000). 29
(b) In the event that the funds appropriated for the Program are insufficient to award all 30
approved grant awards, each award shall be reduced by an equivalent percentage to ensure that 31
funding is awarded to all participating community colleges. 32
"§ 115D-165. Reporting requirement. 33
The State Board, in collaboration with the Department of Commerce, shall analyze data 34
pertaining to the Program and shall report annually by July 15 to the Joint Legislative Education 35
Oversight Committee on the following information fr