HOUSE BILL No. 4579

 

 

May 3, 2017, Introduced by Rep. Kosowski and referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

 

     A bill to establish a stipend program for certain student

 

teachers; to establish a student teacher stipend fund and to

 

provide for its administration; and to prescribe certain powers and

 

duties of certain state officers, agencies, and departments.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the

 

"student teacher stipend act".

 

     Sec. 3. As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Authority" means the Michigan finance authority created

 

within the department by Executive Reorganization Order No. 2010-2,

 

MCL 12.194.

 

     (b) "Department" means the department of treasury.

 

     (c) "Fund" means the student teacher stipend fund created in

 

section 11.

 


     (d) "Public school" means that term as defined in section 5 of

 

the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.

 

     (e) "Stipend" means money awarded to an individual under this

 

act in an amount determined under section 9.

 

     (f) "Student teacher" means an individual who meets all of the

 

following:

 

     (i) Is a student enrolled in a teacher preparation institution

 

approved by the state pursuant to section 1538a of the revised

 

school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1538a.

 

     (ii) Is studying to be a teacher at the institution described

 

in subparagraph (i) in a program approved by the state pursuant to

 

section 1538a of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL

 

380.1538a.

 

     (iii) As a required part of the program described in

 

subparagraph (ii), observes classroom instruction or does closely

 

supervised teaching in a public school for at least 3 hours per

 

day.

 

      Sec. 5. The student teacher stipend program is created within

 

the department, to be administered by the authority. Subject to

 

appropriation, the authority shall do all of the following:

 

     (a) Award stipends to eligible student teachers under this

 

act.

 

     (b) Develop an application form and application process for

 

student teachers applying for stipends under this act.

 

     (c) Promulgate any rules necessary to implement this act

 

pursuant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306,

 

MCL 24.201 to 24.328.


     Sec. 7. The authority may award a stipend under section 9 to

 

an individual determined by the authority to meet all of the

 

following eligibility criteria:

 

     (a) Is a student teacher.

 

     (b) Is a legal resident of this state.

 

     (c) Has submitted a stipend application to the authority on or

 

before a date prescribed by the authority. The stipend application

 

must include a certification that the applicant meets the

 

eligibility criteria described in this section.

 

     (d) Meets any other requirements established by the authority.

 

     Sec. 9. (1) The authority shall award an individual eligible

 

under section 7 a stipend under this subsection. Subject to

 

adjustment under subsection (2), the maximum amount of the stipend

 

is $40.00 per day that the individual serves as a student teacher.

 

     (2) In any state fiscal year, the authority may adjust the

 

amount of each stipend under subsection (1) based upon its

 

determination of money available from the fund and from

 

appropriations in that fiscal year.

 

     Sec. 11. (1) There is created the student teacher stipend fund

 

as a separate fund in the state treasury, to be administered by the

 

department. The department may accept money for the fund from any

 

source except the school aid fund created in section 11 of article

 

IX of the state constitution of 1963. The state treasurer shall

 

deposit that money and credit the amount to the fund. The

 

department shall use the fund only to provide money to the

 

authority for stipends awarded under this act.

 

     (2) The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the


fund money and shall credit earnings to the fund.

 

     (3) Money in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not

 

revert to the general fund but shall be carried over in the fund to

 

the next fiscal year.

 

     Sec. 13. Before February 1 of each year, the authority shall

 

report to the senate and house committees that have the

 

responsibility for education legislation all of the following:

 

     (a) The number of individuals who received a stipend under

 

this act.

 

     (b) A list of the public schools at which stipend recipients

 

served as student teachers.

 

     (c) A list of institutions at which stipend recipients were

 

studying to become teachers.

 

     (d) The average total amount paid to each stipend recipient.

 

     (e) Any other data to support the operation and effectiveness

 

of the program.

 

     Sec. 15. A recipient of a stipend under this act who submits a

 

false or misleading application or other false or misleading

 

information to the authority may be required to repay the total

 

amount of the stipend that he or she received, plus interest in

 

accordance with section 23 of 1941 PA 122, MCL 205.23.