Provides relative to the Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Advisory Council (EG1 SEE FISC NOTE GF EX See Note)

House Bill 445 amends Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 17, Section 4071 and Title 36, Section 309 to transfer administrative control of the Louisiana Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Advisory Council from the Department of Education to Louisiana Works, a state agency focused on workforce development and economic opportunity. The bill modifies the council's governance structure by changing its chair from the commissioner of higher education to the secretary of Louisiana Works, with the secretary of Louisiana Economic Development serving as vice chair rather than rotating among multiple officials. The legislation streamlines the council's membership by eliminating four member categories: the executive director of the Louisiana Association of Principals, two faculty members from postsecondary institutions teaching STEM disciplines, the president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, and the president of the Louisiana Association of Educators. The bill also reduces meeting frequency from quarterly to twice annually and explicitly authorizes council members to participate in meetings through electronic means compliant with Louisiana's open meetings law.

The transfer of the council to Louisiana Works will affect how state government coordinates STEM education policy and how schools, universities, and workforce agencies interact with state-level STEM initiatives. Educational institutions, from prekindergarten through college level, will now receive guidance and funding coordination through Louisiana Works rather than the Board of Regents, potentially shifting the emphasis of STEM programs toward workforce development and economic opportunity rather than purely educational objectives. The elimination of four membership categories reduces representation from the Louisiana Association of Principals, college faculty teachers, and two major teacher unions, which may limit input from classroom educators and school administrators on council decisions. Businesses and industry maintain strong representation, and the council retains authority to distribute funds from the STEM Education Fund for student-focused programs and competitions including robotics, coding, and design-build projects. The requirement to submit annual status reports now includes the Senate and House committees on Labor and Industrial Relations in addition to the Education committees, reflecting the council's new placement within workforce development infrastructure.

The bill operates within Louisiana's constitutional framework governing state treasury funds and special accounts. The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Fund, established under R.S. 17:4072, continues as a special fund in the state treasury receiving legislative appropriations and private grants and donations. The amended statute clarifies that after allocating funds to the Bond Security and Redemption Fund as required by Louisiana Constitution Article VII, Section 9(B), the treasurer deposits appropriated and transferred monies plus any grants, donations, and gifts into the STEM Education Fund. Unexpended and unencumbered monies remain in the fund at fiscal year end and are invested by the state treasurer with earned interest credited back to the fund, subject to constitutional bond fund requirements. The council's new placement within Louisiana Works, formalized through an enactment to R.S. 36:309(E)(3), aligns STEM education coordination with the state's broader workforce development mission and integrates STEM initiatives with economic development strategies overseen by the secretary of Louisiana Economic Development and other state officials responsible for workforce policy.