1Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
2act relating to the public school system, including certain
3provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
4schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
5laws relating thereto," providing for rural regional
6community college for underserved counties.

7The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8hereby enacts as follows:

9Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
10as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
11article to read:

12ARTICLE XIX-G

13RURAL REGIONAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

14FOR UNDERSERVED COUNTIES

15Section 1901-G. Scope of article.

16This article provides for the establishment of a rural
17regional community college in a multicounty rural area that is
18underserved by comprehensive community college education and
19work force development.

20Section 1902-G. Definitions.

1The following words and phrases when used in this article
2shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
3context clearly indicates otherwise:

4"Annual." A 12-month period coterminous with the
5Commonwealth's fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

6"Board of trustees." The board of trustees of a rural
7regional community college established under this article.

8"County." Any county in this Commonwealth.

9"Certified public accountant." A member of the American
10Institute of Certified Public Accountants who has a minimum of
11five years' verifiable experience in performing audits of
12government funds for nonprofit organizations with a comparable
13or larger annual budget.

<-14"Middle States." The Middle States Association of Colleges
15and Schools.

16"Partner institution." One or more Middle States-accredited
17institutions of higher education.

18"Rural regional community college." A public institution
19which is established in a rural area and operated in accordance
20with the provisions of this article as a nonprofit organization
21which provides up to a two-year, postsecondary education not to
22exceed the level of an associate of arts or sciences degree and
23which is active in work force development.

24"Rural regional community college plan" or "plan." A plan
25for the establishment and operation of a rural regional
26community college under this article.

27"Secretary." The Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth
28or such person as the secretary may designate to act on behalf
29of the secretary with regard to any of the duties and
30prerogatives imposed by this article.

1"State Board." The State Board of Education.

2Section 1903-G. Designations by the secretary.

3(a) Duties of secretary.--

4(1) Within 30 days of the effective date of this
5section, the secretary shall designate an established
6nonprofit organization as defined under section 501(c)(3) of
7the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26
8U.S.C. § 501(c)(3)), which organization represents a rural
9multicounty region underserved by a comprehensive community
10college program, including work force development, to assist
11the secretary with the designation under paragraph (2).

12(2) Within 30 days of the designation under paragraph
13(1), the secretary shall, in consultation with the nonprofit
14organization, designate contiguous counties or parts of
15contiguous counties to be served by establishment of a rural
16regional community college.

17(b) Changes.--No sooner than four years after the effective
18date of this section, the secretary, with approval of the board
19of trustees, may add counties or parts of counties to be served
20by the rural regional community college.

21Section 1904-G. Designation; board of trustees.

22Within 60 days of the secretary's designation under section
231903-G(a)(2), a board of trustees shall be appointed to
24establish a rural regional community college. The board of
25trustees shall consist of not fewer than seven members nor more
26than 15 members appointed by the secretary in consultation and
27jointly with the nonprofit organization designated under section
281903-G(a)(1). The following shall apply to the board of trustees
29established under this section:

30(1) Members of the board of trustees shall be

1representative of the area designated under section 1903-G(a)
2(2) and may include school administrators, community
3education council officials, business leaders and government
4officials.

5(2) Members of the board of trustees shall be appointed
6for terms of three years each, except that those persons
7initially appointed shall draw lots to determine which
8trustees shall serve for a term of three years, which
9trustees shall serve for a term of two years and which
10trustees shall serve for a term of one year. Thereafter, all
11members shall be appointed for terms of three years each.

12(3) Vacancies on the board shall be filled by the
13existing board. A trustee may succeed himself, provided that
14no member shall serve for longer than ten years.

15(4) The secretary shall convene an initial meeting of
16the board of trustees within <-60 <-30 days of the secretary's
<-17designation <-appointment of a board of trustees under this
18section. After the initial meeting, the board of trustees
19shall meet at such times each year as the board of trustees
20determines to be necessary to satisfy the requirements of
21this article.

22(5) The board of trustees shall adopt standing operating
23rules and procedures, by laws and articles of incorporation.

24(6) The board of trustees shall establish an advisory
25committee council of presidents, or their <-designee <-designees,
26from institutions with postsecondary education programs
27within the region designated under section 1903-G(a)(2). The
28advisory council shall meet quarterly to discuss employer and
29work force needs, new educational offerings and general
30coordination of service and facilities. One advisory council

1member representing a community college and one advisory
2council member that is a president of a college or university
3shall serve as co-chairs.

4(7) The board of trustees shall choose from among its
5members a chairman, vice chairman and secretary.

6(8) A majority of the members of the board of trustees
7shall constitute a quorum.

8(9) Trustees shall serve without compensation, except
9that they shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary
10expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

11Section 1905-G. Establishment.

12(a) General rule.--Within one year of its initial meeting,
13the board of trustees appointed under section 1904-G shall
14submit to the secretary a proposed rural regional community
15college plan in such form and containing such information as the
16secretary may require. In addition to other information which
17may be required by the secretary, the plan shall include the
18following:

19(1) A designation of the name of the proposed rural
20regional community college which shall be the "Regional
21Community College of                     " or "
22Regional Community College."

23(2) A survey of the educational, vocational and
24occupational needs of the area and the means by which the
25proposed rural regional community college will meet those
26needs, re-engage high school dropouts to earn their secondary
27credentials and postsecondary credentials or industry
28certification, reduce unemployment and improve the employable
29skills of residents of the area to be served by the rural
30regional community college.

1(3) An operating and financial plan for the proposed
2rural regional community college, including a plan for the
3capital needs and expenses of the proposed rural regional
4community college.

5(4) A plan by which the rural regional community college
6shall seek accreditation by an accrediting association which
7is recognized by the United States Department of Education.

8(b) Submission of plan.--Within 60 days of the submission of
9the rural regional community college plan to the secretary, the
10secretary shall issue an approval or rejection of the plan. A
11rejection of the plan shall be accompanied by a written
12statement of the reasons for the rejection of the plan. If the
13plan is rejected, the board of trustees shall submit a revised
14plan to the secretary within 60 days of the plan's rejection.

15(c) Plan approval.--Upon the approval of the plan by the
16secretary, the rural regional community college shall be
17considered established.

18Section 1906-G. Powers and duties of board of trustees.

19(a) General rule.--The board of trustees appointed under
20section 1904-G shall administer and supervise the affairs of the
21rural regional community college established under this article.
22Subject to any other law and to any regulations promulgated by
23the State Board pertaining to rural regional community colleges,
24the board of trustees shall have the following powers and
25duties:

26(1) To advance the mission of the rural regional
27community college in service to residents of the region
28designated under section 1903-G(a)(2).

29(2) To appoint and fix the salary of a president of the
30rural regional community college.

1(3) To appoint and fix the salary of a chief financial
2officer of the rural regional community college.

3(4) To hold, rent, lease, sell, purchase and improve
4land, buildings, furnishings, equipment, materials, books and
5supplies.

6(5) To enter into contracts for services with community
7education councils, schools, colleges or universities, or
8with school districts or municipalities, and other applicable
9or appropriate agencies and organizations, to effectuate the
10purposes of this article.

11(6) To accept and receive gifts of real and personal
12property and Federal, State and local moneys, loans and
13grants, and to expend the same.

14(7) To make policies providing for the admission and
15expulsion of students, the courses of instruction, the
16tuition and fees to be charged and for all matters related to
17the government and administration of the rural regional
18community college, provided that policies related to
19admission, tuition and fees give preference to residents of
20the area designated by the secretary pursuant to section
211903-G(a)(2).

22(8) To submit to the secretary for approval proposed
23amendments to the rural regional community college plan.

24(9) To enter into contracts for services to high schools
25located in the area designated by the secretary under section
261903-G to provide <-services, including, but not limited to,
27area vocational-technical education services.

28(10) To approve an annual budget to be submitted to the
29secretary for funding.

30(11) To exercise such other powers and perform such

1other duties as are necessary to effectuate the purposes of
2this article.

3(b) Duties of board.--The board of trustees shall enter into
4contracts, hold property and take other actions in the name of
5the rural regional community college.

6(c) Initial partnership.--

7(1) The board of trustees shall select initially a
<-8Middle States accredited institution of higher education as a
9partner institution to develop and offer accredited courses
10and programs of study at the approved sites of operation.

11(2) The partner institution shall select programs <-in
12consultation and <-only with approval of the board of trustees
13and consistent with <-its <-the partner institution's
14accreditation and shall be responsible for staffing and
15evaluation and provision of other support services as may be
16required for students.

17(3) The board of trustees may contract with other
18colleges to provide curricula not available through the
19partner institution.

20(4) As the rural regional community college is able to
21operate on its own, a transition plan and budget shall be
22included in the contract <-between the rural regional community
23college and the partner institution to efficiently expedite
24the transition <-for its partner institution or institutions.

25(5) Nothing in this article shall be construed to
26preclude the board of trustees from contracting for specific
27services or programs following the transition from the
28initial <-operating partner institution.

29Section 1907-G. Officers of rural regional community college.

30(a) President.--The president shall be the chief executive

1and administrative officer of the rural regional community
2college and shall perform all duties which the board of trustees
3may prescribe. The president shall have the right to attend
4meetings of the board of trustees and to be heard on all matters
5before it, but shall have no right to vote on any matter.

6(b) Chief financial officer.--The chief financial officer of
7the rural regional community college shall give a proper bond in
8such amount and with such corporate surety as is approved by the
9board of trustees. The chief financial officer shall file the
10bond with the board of trustees. The account of the chief
11financial officer shall be audited biannually by a certified
12public accountant or other qualified public accountant selected
13by the board of trustees.

14Section 1908-G. Students.

15Any individual may apply for admission to the rural regional
16community college established under this article, provided that
17preference in admissions, tuition and fees may be given to
18residents of the multicounty area designated by the secretary
19pursuant to section 1903-G(a)(2). In considering applicants for
20admission, the rural regional community college shall not
21discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, marital
22status, ethnic group or religion.

23Section 1909-G. Tuition.

24The tuition and fees charged by the rural regional community
25college shall be an amount determined by the board of trustees,
26in accordance with the budget submitted to the secretary. The
27board of trustees shall annually establish a separate schedule
28of tuition and fees for students that reside inside the region
<-29designated under section 1903-G(a)(2) and students that reside
30outside <-the <-said region <-designated under section 1903-G(a)(2).

1Section 1910-G. Dissolution and transition of rural regional
2community college.

3The rural regional community college established under this
4article may not be dissolved without the approval of the
5secretary. Upon dissolution of the rural regional community
6college, the Commonwealth shall assume all assets and
7liabilities of the rural regional community college, except that
8such assets that are the property of any partner institution
9that may be operating for and within the rural regional
10community college shall remain the property of the <-partner
11institution.

12Section 1911-G. Degrees.

13The rural regional community college established under this
14article may award any type of diploma, technical or career
15training certificate or degree not to exceed the level of an
16associate of arts or sciences degree. As long as the <-Middle
17States accredited <-partner institution provides the accredited
18curricula and courses under contract to the rural regional
19community college, the requirements of the accrediting agency
20shall pertain to the <-designation <-granting of such awards.

21Section 1912-G. Funding.

22The rural regional community college established under this
23article shall be funded by tuition and fees established by the
24board of trustees, and may accept appropriations from the
25General Assembly, grants from the Federal Government, grants
26from the Commonwealth, grants from private foundations or any
27combination thereof.

28Section 1913-G. Financial aid.

29Students enrolled in the rural regional community college
30established under this article shall be eligible for financial

1aid to the extent permitted under Federal and State law.

2Section 1914-G. Regulations.

3The State Board may promulgate regulations pursuant to the
4act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory
5Review Act, as necessary to implement this article.

6Section 1915-G. Reports.

7The Legislative Budget and Finance Committee shall prepare
8and submit to the General Assembly written interim and final
9reports evaluating the operation of this article. The interim
10report shall be submitted by June 30, 2018, and the final report
11shall be submitted by June 30, 2022. Each report shall include,
12but may not be limited to, the following:

13(1) A review of the success of the rural regional
14community college established under this article in
15satisfying the goals set forth in the rural regional
16community college plan approved by the secretary and in
17satisfying the needs of the multicounty area the rural
18regional community college was established to serve.

19(2) Demographic and program data, including the
20following:

21(i) Numbers of full-time and part-time faculty and
22student enrollments, in total and within curricular
23areas.

24(ii) Dual enrollment participation.

25(iii) Credit hours taught by faculty.

26(iv) Distance learning courses offered.

27(v) Articulation agreements with higher education
28institutions.

29(vi) Lists of courses with fewer than 20 students.

30(vii) Lists of courses with more than 50 students.

1Where available, student data shall be disaggregated by
2categories, including gender, race and age.

3(3) Student progress and achievement measures, including
4the following:

5(i) Retention rates related to student goals.

6(ii) Graduation and completion rates after two,
7three and four years.

8(iii) Passing rates on certification and licensure
9examinations.

10(iv) Number of students employed within one year of
11program completion.

12(v) Placement into additional education or
13employment in the student's field of study.

14Where available, data shall be disaggregated by categories,
15including gender, race and age.

16(4) Economic and work force development measures,
17including:

18(i) Employer satisfaction.

19(ii) Customized job training offerings.

20(iii) Employment status.

21(iv) Numbers of businesses and organizations served.

22(5) Recommendations for future legislation.

23Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.