WEST virginia legislature

2024 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 4986

By Delegates Rohrbach, Warner, Statler, Ellington, Toney, Foggin, Mazzocchi, Longanacre, Ferrell, Jennings, and Hornby

[Originating in the Committee on Education; Reported on February 8, 2024]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18-5-19e, relating to providing computer science and cybersecurity instruction for adult learners.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 5. County Board of Education.

§18-5-19e. Computer science and cybersecurity instruction for adult learners.

1. The State Superintendent of Schools, or designee, shall seek, apply for, and if received, administer, and distribute through the division of PK through 12 Adult Instruction & Career Engagement, any grants or other financial assistance that the Federal government and other public or private sources shall make available for purposes of providing computer science and cybersecurity instruction to adults.  
2. The State Superintendent of Schools, or designee, shall use or distribute any grants or other financial assistance received from the Federal government, and other public or private sources for purposes of providing computer science and cybersecurity instruction to adults,  to school districts, public charter schools, area career and technology centers, job service and West Virginia Workforce centers, public libraries, adult education centers, and learning centers that qualify as non-profit entities under 26 U.S.C.S. §501(c)(3), not to exceed $300,000 per recipient. This shall occur on a biennium basis beginning on July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2026.

(c) School districts, public charter schools, public libraries, area career and technology centers, job service and West Virginia Workforce centers, adult education centers, and learning centers that qualify as non-profit entities under 26 U.S.C.S. §501(c)(3) shall use all or part of the grant money or financial assistance received to cover the expenditures, including instruction compensation, incurred in providing computer science and cybersecurity courses to adults.  

(d) The State Superintendent of Schools shall have authority to provide for the suitable coordination and supervision necessary to implement the purposes of this section.

(e) All computer science and cybersecurity instruction for adult learners established under this section shall be under regulations of the State Department of Education.