Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development

HB 2003 allocates $54.4 million as a one-time appropriation for Missouri's MO Excels Workforce Initiative and $27.6 million to the Academic Scholarship Fund, both administered by the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The bill funds specific programs including scholarship administration ($5.1 million), proprietary school regulation ($522,000), and higher education compact membership ($115,000), with restrictions prohibiting funds from supporting Common Core Standards. It requires the department to notify the legislature in writing before using new donations or federal funds. These allocations cover fiscal year 2024-2025 expenses, grants, and distributions for higher education and workforce development programs.