House Bill 1556: MissCATEE Program

March 5, 2025March 5, 2025 Bill Tracker

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HB 1556 died in committee on March 4. 

Explanation of the Bill

House Bill 1556 would establish the Mississippi Connecting Career and Technical Education Employability (MissCATEE) Program, which would be administered by the Office of Workforce Development (Accelerate MS). 

The program would provide tuition-free community college in career and technical education and training, resulting in associate degree credentials or industry certifications in high-wage, high-demand industries with workforce shortages.  

This program would be subject to the availability of funds appropriated by the Legislature.

Student Eligibility

An eligible recipient would include someone who:

• Has been a resident of Mississippi for at least one year prior to enrollment in an eligible program and continues to reside in the state;
• Is a United States citizen, lawful permanent resident, or noncitizen eligible under Title IV regulations for student aid eligibility;
• Has a high school diploma, GED, or equivalent;
• Is enrolled full time in an eligible CTE program at a Mississippi community college within 12 months of completing a secondary education program, or is dually enrolled in an eligible CTE program through their high school;
• Has completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
• Maintains satisfactory academic progress;
• Has not previously earned an associate or bachelor’s degree or been enrolled in a community or junior college other than dual enrollment; and
• Has agreed to remain in the State of Mississippi and work in the industry sector of their degree credential or industry certification for an amount of time determined by the Office of Workforce Development.

Institution and Program Eligibility

Eligible programs would include any career and technical (CTE) program administered at an eligible institution and approved by the Office of Workforce Development (Accelerate MS) that is aligned with identified workforce sector strategies or priority occupations, and identified on the state’s Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).

Eligible institutions would include any community college or local workforce development area.

Program Administration 

The Office of Workforce Development would develop regulations and procedures to govern the administration of the program. An application process would be used to allocate awards. 

The Office of Workforce Development would serve as the fiscal agent for the program. It would disburse appropriate funds to eligible institutions on a semester basis after verifying eligible recipients’ enrollment in eligible programs.

The district office of each Local Workforce Development Area would enter into an agreement with program recipients. The agreement would include the following conditions:

• The recipient of funds would commit to working in the industry correlating to their degree or industry certification within Mississippi for an amount of time determined by the Office of Workforce Development.
• If any recipient were to not work in their industry sector, they would be obligated to repay all funds received, with interest. Interest would accrue from the time that each payment was received by the recipient.
• No interest would accrue and there would be no obligation to repay the principal sums accrued during a time in which the recipient involuntarily served in the United States Armed Forces. 
• Repayment of the principal with interest would be due in full immediately if the recipient:
  • Left Mississippi for a period of time determined by the Office of Workforce Development, for any reason other than temporary personal illness; or
  • Failed to work in the industry sector of their degree or certification on a regularly sustained basis.

In recouping funds from individuals who failed to fulfill program requirements, Accelerate MS would annually provide a list of eligible programs based on priority sectors and occupations and program recipients to the Postsecondary Education Financial Assistance Board, which would collaborate with Accelerate MS to track recipients under the program. The board would collect the appropriate funds from program participants based on the determination of breach. 

Annual Report

The Office of Workforce Development would submit an annual report on the program to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chair of the House Workforce Development Committee, the Chair of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee, and the Chairpeople of the House and Senate Universities and Colleges Committees. The report would be required to contain a detailed explanation of how the funds appropriated for the program were awarded, as well as the number of students participating in the grant program and their employment outcomes.

This act would take effect on July 1, 2025.

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