BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. Bobby Jindal and higher education leaders have won legislative support for a new incentive fund that will direct money to high-demand degree and worker training programs.
The House gave final passage Thursday to a bill by House Speaker Chuck Kleckley that sets up the Workforce and Innovation for a Stronger Economy Fund, or WISE Fund. The 92-0 vote sent the measure to Jindal.
The bill doesn’t guarantee funding, however. Lawmakers will decide each year whether to put money in the fund. Next year’s budget bills include $40 million for the effort.
The Board of Regents will have final say over which campuses get money, based on recommendations from a newly-created council. Schools will have to put up a funding match.
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House Bill 1033 can be found at www.legis.la.gov
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