39-10-104. (Temporary) Program administration. (1) The department of labor and industry shall administer the natural resource workers' education program and shall adopt rules to implement the requirements of this part, including but not limited to:
     (a) procedures regarding the application process for eligible individuals to obtain tuition and notification of the office of public instruction, the board of regents, community colleges, tribal colleges, and the state job service of all criteria, procedures, and timelines;
     (b) procedures for disbursement of tuition scholarships and for developing a formula for proration of scholarships from the natural resource workers' tuition scholarship account established in 39-10-106 to the office of public instruction, community colleges, tribal colleges, or the board of regents to pay for tuition scholarships awarded to eligible individuals; and
     (c) procedures to limit the training available to each eligible individual to a maximum of 2 years.
     (2) Before the registration period each semester, the department of labor and industry shall:
     (a) submit to the office of public instruction, community colleges, tribal colleges, and the board of regents the names of those who have applied for the program and have met the eligibility requirements prescribed in 39-10-105; and
     (b) transmit from the natural resource workers' tuition scholarship account to the office of public instruction, community colleges, tribal colleges, or the board of regents the total amount necessary for payment of all tuition scholarships. The office of public instruction or the board of regents shall transmit the payment for each scholarship to the financial officer of the school district or the unit of the university system in which the eligible student is enrolled.
     (c) enter into a contract or state-tribal cooperative agreement, pursuant to Title 18, chapter 11, with tribal governments to provide the department with information required under this section for participation in the program.
     (3) Within 30 days after the end of registration each semester, the school district, community college, tribal college, or unit of the university system shall certify to the superintendent of public instruction, the board of regents, or the department, as applicable, the eligibility status of each individual who receives a tuition scholarship. After the end of the drop and add period, the school district, community college, tribal college, or unit of the university system is not required to reevaluate or revise an individual's eligibility status, but shall make a refund to the department of labor and industry if a student who receives a scholarship terminates enrollment for any reason during an academic term.
     (4) A school district, community college, tribal college, or unit of the university system that receives a tuition scholarship payment shall prepare and submit to the department of labor and industry by March 1 of each year a report that includes an audit of the district's, college's, or unit's administration of the tuition scholarships and a complete accounting of the tuition funds.
     (5) If a tuition scholarship recipient transfers from one school district, community college, tribal college, or unit of the university system to another and continues to meet eligibility requirements, the tuition scholarship must be transferred with the recipient.
     (6) A tuition scholarship recipient may apply the tuition scholarship to any training, certificate, or degree program offered at a community college, tribal college, or unit of the university system.
     (7) By June 30 of each even-numbered year, the department of labor and industry shall report the following to the legislative finance committee:
     (a) the number of persons participating in the program;
     (b) the training, certificate, or degree program in which each participant is enrolled or that each participant has completed and the location of the program;
     (c) the number of job placements and the average salary received; and
     (d) the agency costs associated with administering the program. (Terminates June 30, 2007--sec. 10, Ch. 586, L. 2001.)

     History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 586, L. 2001.