An Act to make an appropriation to the Department of Education for grants to support career and technical education infrastructure projects, and to declare an emergency.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of South Dakota:

Section 1. There is hereby appropriated from the general fund the sum of $5 $5,000,000 to the Department of Education, for the purpose of providing grants to school districts or multidistricts for the construction, addition, and equipping of new or existing area career centers.

Section 2. The Department of Education shall consider applications and award grants. To be eligible for a grant, a school district or multidistrict must operate an existing area career center, or intend to operate a new area career center. The department shall give preference to an applicant that:

(1) Collaborates with another school district or multidistrict in operating an existing area career center, or intends to collaborate with other school districts or multidistricts by establishing a new area career center;

(2)(1) Promotes, or intends to promote, postsecondary education and workforce training education in conjunction with secondary education; or

(3)(2) Identifies sufficient future local sources of funding for ongoing operating and maintenance costs associated with a new or expanded area career center.

The Department of Education may only award a grant to a school district or multidistrict in an amount equal to, or less than, the amount of matching monies that the school district or multidistrict has secured from local sources on a dollar-for-dollar basis for the project.

Section 3. The Department of Education shall accept applications for grants provided by this Act no later than June 30, 2024.

Section 4. The secretary of the Department of Education shall approve vouchers and the state auditor shall draw warrants to pay expenditures authorized by this Act.

Section 5. Any amounts appropriated in this Act not lawfully expended or obligated shall revert in accordance with the procedures prescribed in chapter 4-8.

Section 6. Whereas, this Act is necessary for the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this Act shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.