Bill Summaries: S 579 EXPAND INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE IN NC.

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  • Summary date: Apr 6 2021 - View Summary

    Includes whereas clauses. Requires the State Board of Community Colleges, within funds appropriated under the act, to establish a grant program for community college campuses to offer courses to students to become tax preparers as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and to facilitate providing VITA services to students and community members. Sets out VITA's work. States that the goal of the grant program is for community colleges to provide work-based opportunities to students while facilitating access to the VITA program in local communities. 

    Requires participating community colleges to: (1) offer a specified fall curriculum course and a spring work-based learning course to students interested in becoming certified as tax preparers for the VITA program, (2) designate a faculty champion to facilitate the program, and (3) provide VITA services to be offered to all students on campus and community members. Sets out information that a community college must include in its grant application.

    Appropriates the following from the General Fund to the Community Colleges System Office: (1) $755,100 in nonrecurring funds and $570,100 in recurring funds for 2021-2022 and (2) $549,000 in nonrecurring funds for 2022-2023 to implement the grant program. Specifies how the funds are to be used and in what amount, including specified faculty bonuses and to hire personnel.

    Appropriates $50,000 in nonrecurring funds and $100,000 in recurring funds for 2021-22 from the General Fund to the Department of Revenue for community college personnel and student training and technical assistance associated with the grant program; allows the funds to be used to contract with a third-party vendor.

    Effective July 1, 2021.