39-11-305. (Temporary) Montana EARN program grant requirements -- rulemaking. (1) (a) Montana EARN program grants must be submitted by a strategic industry partnership to the department. If more than one grant is submitted in a funding cycle, the department shall rank the proposals.

(b) The department shall award one or more grants based on the results of discussions with grant applicants and evidence of matching contributions as provided in 39-11-304.

(2) Montana EARN program grants:

(a) may be used to match federal funds;

(b) may require matching funds from the strategic industry partnership, as determined by the department by rule; and

(c) may require that any intellectual property developed as a result of a program grant remain in the public domain to the extent practicable and consistent with federal and state law.

(3) Grants may be made by the department directly to a strategic industry partnership member that is an entity recognized by the state, as defined by rule, for use by the strategic industry partnership in:

(a) planning;

(b) job-readiness assistance for members of a target population; and

(c) workforce training programs that result in a credential or an identifiable skill for a target population intended to assist in finding or maintaining a job in a high-demand occupation in a target industry, consistent with the strategic industry partnership's plan.

(4) Grants for the workforce training programs under the Montana EARN program may supplement grants available under the primary sector business workforce training program provided for in Title 39, chapter 11, the incumbent worker training program provided for in Title 53, chapter 2, part 12, or grants for economic development made by the department of commerce under Title 90.

(5) An application for a strategic industry partnership planning grant must include:

(a) the identities of members participating in the strategic industry partnership;

(b) a description of the target industry;

(c) a description of the target population;

(d) documented evidence of shortages over a sustained period in skilled employment within the target industry selected by the strategic industry partnership;

(e) a description of specific high-demand occupations or sets of occupations within the target industry; and

(f) specific job-readiness assistance needed for the target population to participate in workforce training programs.

(6) The department shall adopt rules to define:

(a) the entity eligible to receive a grant under this section;

(b) the amount that may be awarded to any one strategic industry partnership;

(c) the terms for program accountability, including terms for revoking grant awards or portions of grant awards if the planning, assistance, or training is not provided or the department determines the grant is not meeting program objectives; and

(d) reporting requirements, including timeframes, for Montana EARN program grants. (Terminates June 30, 2021--sec. 12, Ch. 366, L. 2019.)