(a) There is hereby established the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program. The commissioner of education, state board of education and the secretary shall coordinate to develop the program and obtain such necessary approval and registration of education apprenticeship programs as provided by federal and state law. The secretary shall administer the grant program.

(b) The Kansas educator registered apprenticeship program shall be established to award grants to education apprentices for tuition, fees, books and materials to obtain their postsecondary degrees for the purpose of increasing the number of qualified, credentialed teachers in the state of Kansas. The program shall seek to identify a diverse group of candidates to participate as education apprentices in a registered education apprenticeship program or programs and obtain a bachelor’s degree in education, secure licensure and engage in the profession of teaching in Kansas. Grants shall be awarded by the secretary upon approval of the registered education apprenticeship program of an applicant school by the secretary as compliant with all applicable federal and state law.

(c) On or before March 1, 2024, the state board of education and the secretary shall coordinate to adopt rules and regulations to implement and administer the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program. Such rules and regulations shall establish:

(1) Application procedures, forms and terms and conditions and requirements for an award of a Kansas educator registered apprenticeship program grant to an education apprentice by the secretary;

(2) the terms, conditions and requirements for acceptance by the secretary of an applicant school into the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship program. The applicant school’s registered education apprenticeship program design shall include the following requirements:

(A) Applicant schools shall partner with at least one eligible related training instruction provider and identify such provider in their application; and

(B) applicant schools shall identify projected candidates in the manner designated by the secretary of commerce and the state board with appropriate protections for candidate privacy;

(3) grant funds shall be used for payment of education apprentice tuition, fees and the cost of books and materials up to a maximum of $2,750 per year for four years, or completion of their academic program, whichever comes first;

(4) prioritization for applications from applicant schools partnering with eligible related training instruction providers that permit the apprentice to continue their current employment by utilizing flexible learning models such as online delivery, competency-based education or courses offered on nights or weekends; and

(5) a method to award grants equitably across the state geographically.

(d) The commissioner of education, the state board of education and the secretary shall, beginning in 2025, annually evaluate the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship program grant and prepare and submit a report before January 31, 2026, and before January 31 of each year thereafter, to the senate standing committee on education and the standing committee on commerce and to the house of representatives standing committee on education and the standing committee on commerce, labor and economic development.

(e) Subject to appropriation acts, on July 1, 2023, and each July 1 thereafter, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer $3,000,000 from the state general fund to the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program fund. Any unencumbered balance in such fund at the end of a fiscal year shall remain credited to the fund for use in the succeeding fiscal year, except that the amount of such unencumbered balance at the end of the fiscal year to remain credited to the fund for use in the succeeding fiscal year shall not exceed $3,000,000. On June 30, 2024, and each June 30 thereafter, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer the amount, if any, of unencumbered moneys in the fund in excess of $3,000,000 to the state general fund.

(f) There is hereby created in the state treasury the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program fund, which shall be administered by the secretary. All expenditures from the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program fund shall be for grants awarded pursuant to the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program. All expenditures from the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary, or the secretary’s designee. All moneys received by the secretary for the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program shall be deposited in the state treasury in accordance with the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas educator registered apprenticeship grant program fund.