PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 629, 930 PRINTER'S NO. 999
No. 511 Session of 2005
INTRODUCED BY GORDNER, RHOADES, WONDERLING, RAFFERTY, STOUT,
ERICKSON, COSTA, PILEGGI, KITCHEN, ORIE, LOGAN, PIPPY AND
WAUGH, APRIL 4, 2005
SENATOR THOMPSON, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED,
JUNE 22, 2005
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of June 29, 1996 (P.L.434, No.67), entitled, as
2 amended, "An act to enhance job creation and economic
3 development by providing for an annual financing strategy,
4 for opportunity grants, for job creation tax credits, for
5 small business assistance, for the Small Business Advocacy
6 Council, for a family savings program, for industrial
7 development assistance, for community development bank grants
8 and loans and for tax-exempt bond allocation; conferring
9 powers and duties on various administrative agencies and
10 authorities; further providing for various funds; and making
11 repeals," further providing, IN TECHNOLOGY WORK EXPERIENCE, <--
12 FOR DEFINITIONS, for approved courses, for emerging
13 technology companies, for responsibility of approved
14 educational institutions and for eligible interns.
15 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
16 hereby enacts as follows:
17 Section 1. Sections 3101, 3102(c) and (d), 3104 and 3106(a) <--
18 and (b) of the act of June 29, 1996 (P.L.434, No.67), known as
19 the Job Enhancement Act, added November 6, 2003 (P.L.205,
20 No.34), are amended to read:
21 SECTION 3101. DEFINITIONS. <--
22 THE FOLLOWING WORDS AND PHRASES WHEN USED IN THIS CHAPTER
23 SHALL HAVE THE MEANINGS GIVEN TO THEM IN THIS SECTION UNLESS THE
1 CONTEXT CLEARLY INDICATES OTHERWISE:
2 "AGENCY." THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATION ASSISTANCE
3 AGENCY.
4 "APPROVED COURSE OF STUDY." A PROGRAM OR CURRICULUM OFFERED
5 BY A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT PROVIDES
6 INSTRUCTION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RELATED FIELDS AND THAT
7 HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN CONSULTATION
8 WITH THE PENNSYLVANIA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD, AS REQUIRED
9 UNDER SECTION 3 OF THE ACT OF JUNE 23, 1999 (P.L.159, NO.22),
10 KNOWN AS THE NEW ECONOMY TECHNOLOGY SCHOLARSHIP ACT.
11 "APPROVED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION." A POSTSECONDARY
12 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION LOCATED IN THIS COMMONWEALTH THAT IS
13 AUTHORIZED TO PROVIDE APPROVED COURSES OF STUDY AND GRANT
14 DEGREES AND THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER
15 EDUCATION ASSISTANCE AGENCY AS AN INSTITUTION IN WHICH STUDENTS
16 MAY ENROLL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW ECONOMY TECHNOLOGY
17 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
18 "DEPARTMENT." THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OF THE
19 COMMONWEALTH.
20 "EMERGING TECHNOLOGY COMPANY." A COMPANY LOCATED IN THIS
21 COMMONWEALTH THAT IS INVOLVED IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND PRODUCT
22 DEVELOPMENT, TECHNOLOGY OR A RELATED FIELD WHICH IS EITHER LESS
23 THAN [SIX] EIGHT YEARS FROM INCORPORATION OR EMPLOYS FEWER THAN
24 500 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
25 "PENNSYLVANIA WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD." A PUBLIC AND
26 PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT PROVIDES STRATEGIC PLANNING, PROGRAM
27 COORDINATION AND EVALUATION OF PENNSYLVANIA'S WORK FORCE
28 TRAINING EFFORTS.
29 "PROGRAM." THE TECHNOLOGY WORK EXPERIENCE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
30 ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS CHAPTER.
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1 "STUDENT." AN INDIVIDUAL DOMICILED IN THIS COMMONWEALTH WHO
2 ATTENDS AN APPROVED EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION AND WHO IS ENROLLED
3 IN AN APPROVED COURSE OF STUDY.
4 "WORK EXPERIENCE INTERNSHIP." AN INTERNSHIP OR WORK
5 EXPERIENCE IN A SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY OR RELATED FIELD WITH AN
6 EMERGING TECHNOLOGY EMPLOYER LOCATED WITHIN THIS COMMONWEALTH
7 FOR WHICH THE STUDENT RECEIVES COMPENSATION AND WHICH IS
8 APPROVED BY A POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION LISTED AS AN APPROVED
9 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION BY THE PENNSYLVANIA HIGHER EDUCATION
10 ASSISTANCE AGENCY.
11 Section 3102. Technology Work Experience Internship Program.
12 * * *
13 (c) Approved courses.--The list of approved courses of study
14 for the program for undergraduate students shall be the same as
15 is currently required under section 4(c) of the act of June 23,
16 1999 (P.L.159, No.22), known as the New Economy Technology
17 Scholarship Act.
18 [(d) Emerging technology companies.--The department, in
19 cooperation with the Department of Community and Economic
20 Development and the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board,
21 shall establish and maintain a list of emerging technology
22 companies for the program.]
23 (d) Emerging technology companies.--Companies meeting the
24 definition of "emerging technology company" as provided in
25 section 3101 electing to participate in the program shall
26 certify, on forms provided by the agency, that they meet the
27 criteria and agree to adhere to the requirements of this act and
28 agency guidelines.
29 * * *
30 Section 3104. Responsibility of approved educational
20050S0511B0999 - 3 -
1 institution.
2 Educational institutions participating in this program shall:
3 (1) Submit an application to the agency for approval to
4 participate in the program. The application shall identify
5 the high-tech employers or potential employers who will
6 sponsor an internship, the wages that interns shall be paid,
7 a description of the general nature of the work to be
8 performed and the screening process to be employed to
9 identify those students who will participate in the
10 internship program.
11 (2) Enter into a participation agreement with the
12 agency.
13 (3) Ensure that each participating high-tech business
14 understands the requirements of the program and provides each
15 hired intern career-related work experience that builds on
16 that student's classroom knowledge.
17 (4) Either through employer funds or institutional
18 funds, provide the funds required to match the State
19 contribution.
20 (5) Implement a process to screen and approve students
21 for participation in the program.
22 (6) Open relevant records and materials to the agency
23 for review.
24 (7) Have a process to monitor and evaluate each
25 internship experience.
26 (8) Adhere to any requirements or conditions that the
27 agency [or the department, in consultation with the
28 Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board and the Department of
29 Community and Economic Development,] may adopt.
30 Section 3106. Interns.
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1 (a) Eligibility.--Undergraduate and master's degree students
2 enrolled in an approved course of instruction at an approved
3 educational institution shall be eligible to participate in the
4 program. Priority for participation shall be based on financial
5 need as determined by the educational institution and the
6 agency, but participation shall not be limited to those students
7 who qualify for financial aid.
8 (b) Terms and conditions.--Each intern shall comply with any
9 conditions placed upon the internship by the agency[,
10 department] or approved educational institution. Each intern
11 shall comply with any applicable requirements established by the
12 employer. Interns may work no more than 20 hours a week while
13 they are enrolled on a full-time basis and may work not more
14 than 40 hours a week during any break.
15 * * *
16 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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