HB 20-1002 Summary

• Directs the Commission on Higher Education to develop a statewide plan by January 1, 2022 for awarding college credit to students for work-related experience acquired within the past 10 years, including paid or unpaid employment, internships, apprenticeships, and industry credentials.

• Requires the plan to establish processes for assessing work-related experience and aligning it to knowledge and competencies required for courses in Guaranteed-Transfer (GT) Pathways and statewide degree transfer agreements, with credits transferable between institutions.

• Mandates the Department of Higher Education to conduct a study by September 1, 2021 examining prior learning assessment processes, student benefits including reduced time to degree, and institutional costs for administering assessments.

• Requires institutions to begin accepting and transferring work-related experience credits for GT Pathways and transfer agreement courses starting in the 2022-23 academic year unless the plan is implemented earlier.

• Mandates annual reports to the legislature beginning March 1, 2024 documenting student participation, demographics, implementation challenges, assessment fees, institutional costs, and recommended statutory revisions, with the reporting requirement expiring July 1, 2029.