The education department must administer career and technical education appropriations and grants, and the commissioner may issue rules to carry out the section.
The department of education shall administer annual appropriations that are made for career and technical education, including all of the related programs for which funds have been or may be authorized or appropriated by any present or future federal act or acts having to do with or related to career and technical education. Funds generated by the career and technical education components of the state funding formula may be used to match, as required by federal statute or statutes, funds appropriated and paid over by the federal government for the same purpose as the appropriation made for career and technical education, as referred to in this section. All expenses of administration of funds appropriated for career and technical education, as referred to in this section, shall be paid from funds generated by the career and technical components of the state funding formula as supplemented by funds received from the federal government. Notwithstanding subsection (a) or other law to the contrary, in any fiscal year in which funds are appropriated for career and technical education above and beyond the funds available through the Tennessee BEP for career and technical education, the additional funds shall be used to provide a system of grants to improve and enhance career and technical education. The department of education through its division of career and technical education shall establish, develop, administer and monitor the system of grants. Guidelines for the system of grants shall be developed by the division of career and technical education in consultation with the Tennessee directors of career and technical education. The system shall consist of three (3) grant programs as follows: Annual grants to each LEA that provides a program of career and technical education for: Acquisition, replacement, upgrade, maintenance and repair of materials, supplies and equipment necessary to provide, enhance and improve career and technical education programs that meet or exceed current industry standards; and If provided in the guidelines adopted by the division of career and technical education, enhancement of employment opportunities for career and technical education directors; All funds appropriated for grants under this subdivision (b)(1)(A) shall be allocated and credited for distribution through the grant program in the same manner in which state funds are allocated and distributed to LEAs through the BEP funding formula in effect for that fiscal year; and Competitive grants awarded by the department to LEAs to provide funding for: Starting new career and technical education programs that meet current industry standards, particularly in high demand, high wage industries; Maintaining and enhancing high quality career and technical education programs that lead directly to employment or to postsecondary education; and Implementing innovative exemplary career and technical programs that have potential for replication in other areas of the state. The use of grant funds shall be subject to audit by the office of the comptroller of the treasury. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this section. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. Annual appropriations of state funds that are made for the current operation or capital improvement of state colleges of applied technology and regional technical institutes shall be administered by the state board of regents and may be used for any purpose set forth in this subsection (c) including, but not limited to, the matching, as required by federal statute or statutes, of any funds appropriated and paid over by the federal government for any purpose or purposes related to area career and technical institute programs.