South Dakota’s Jobs for America’s Graduates program took another step towards becoming law.

 

On a unanimous vote, Senators passed Senate Bill 39, which creates Jobs for SD’s Graduates program and special donation fund. The bill previously passed Senate Education on a 7-0 vote.

 

The public-private partnership program would allow the program to collect grant dollars, gifts, donations and other funding methods in order to initiate, expand, support, enhance or carry out the objectives of the South Dakota JAG program in districts throughout South Dakota.

 

Sen. Jim Bolin said the bill would “help to better serve students” and the proposal and funding aspect introduced would “maintain and grow the program.”

 

Currently, five school districts in South Dakota utilize the JAG program and SB 39 will assist others in learning about and potentially implementing the program.

 

“If (districts) want to learn about JAG, now we have a place to go,” Sen. Troy Heinert said.

 

ASBSD is monitoring the bill, which now awaits review and vote in the House.

 

For updates on the bill and others during legislative session, check the ASBSD Blog and Bill Tracker page.