Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB516 Compare Versions

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1	1	81R6451 ALB-F
2	2	By: Strama, Anchia H.B. No. 516
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 516:
4	4	By: Strama C.S.H.B. No. 516
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment and funding of a green job skills
10	10	training program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Section 481.078, Government Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subsection (l) to read as follows:
14	14	(l) The fund may be used to make one or more grants to the
15	15	Texas Workforce Commission to implement the commission's powers and
16	16	duties relating to a green job skills training program.
17	17	Subsections (e-1), (f), (g), (h), (i), and (j) do not apply to a
18	18	grant under this subsection.
19	19	SECTION 2. Subtitle F, Title 4, Government Code, is amended
20	20	by adding Chapter 490D to read as follows:
21	21	CHAPTER 490D. GREEN JOB SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND AND TRAINING
22	22	PROGRAM
23	23	SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
24	24	Sec. 490D.001. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to:
25	25	(1) promote green industry employment opportunities,
26	26	including through the establishment of training programs to enhance
27	27	green job skills and create career opportunities that result in
28	28	high-wage jobs;
29	29	(2) foster regional collaboration for the development
30	30	of green industry employment opportunities;
31	31	(3) assist in the development of a highly skilled,
32	32	high-wage, and productive workforce in the green industry; and
33	33	(4) assist workers with obtaining education, skills
34	34	training, and labor market information to enhance their
35	35	employability, earnings, and standard of living.
36	36	Sec. 490D.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
37	37	(1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce
38	38	Commission.
39	39	(2) "Development fund" means the Texas green job
40	40	skills development fund.
41	41	(3) "Green job" means a job in the field of renewable
42	42	energy or energy efficiency, including a job relating to:
43	43	(A) energy-efficient building, construction, and
44	44	retrofitting;
45	45	(B) renewable energy, including biomass,
46	46	hydroelectric, geothermal, and ocean energy, and wind and solar
47	47	power;
48	48	(C) research and development or manufacturing of
49	49	advanced battery or energy storage technologies;
50	50	(D) biofuels from non-feed food stocks;
51	51	(E) techniques to reduce, reuse, or recycle
52	52	waste;
53	53	(F) techniques to recycle products and convert
54	54	used materials into new products;
55	55	(G) energy efficiency assessments;
56	56	(H) manufacturing of sustainable products using
57	57	sustainable processes and materials; and
58	58	(I) water conservation and water efficiency.
59	59	(4) "Recycle" means the process of extracting
60	60	resources or value from waste by recovering or reusing the
61	61	material, including the collection and reuse of everyday waste
62	62	materials.
63	63	[Sections 490D.003-490D.020 reserved for expansion]
64	64	SUBCHAPTER B. GREEN JOB SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND
65	65	Sec. 490D.021. TEXAS GREEN JOB SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FUND.
66	66	(a) The Texas green job skills development fund is an account in
67	67	the general revenue fund. The account is composed of:
68	68	(1) legislative appropriations;
69	69	(2) money received from the Texas enterprise fund
70	70	under Section 481.078;
71	71	(3) gifts, grants, donations, and matching funds
72	72	received under Subsection (b); and
73	73	(4) other money required by law to be deposited in the
74	74	account.
75	75	(b) The commission may solicit and accept gifts, grants,
76	76	and donations of money from the federal government, local
77	77	governments, private corporations, or other persons to be used for
78	78	the purposes of this subchapter.
79	79	(c) Income from money in the account shall be credited to
80	80	the account.
81	81	(d) Money in the development fund may be used only for the
82	82	purposes of this chapter.
83	83	[Sections 490D.022-490D.030 reserved for expansion]
84	84	SUBCHAPTER C. GREEN JOB SKILLS GRANT PROGRAM
85	85	Sec. 490D.031. ESTABLISHMENT OF GREEN JOB SKILLS GRANT
86	86	PROGRAM. The commission shall establish a green job skills grant
87	87	program, funded by the development fund under Section 490D.021,
88	88	through which the commission may award grants for the
89	89	implementation, expansion, and operation of green job skills
90	90	training programs.
91	91	Sec. 490D.032. GRANT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. (a) A training
92	92	program funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must:
93	93	(1) be hosted by a regional partnership that presents
94	94	a plan to implement training programs that lead trainees to
95	95	economic self-sufficiency and career pathways and includes at
96	96	least:
97	97	(A) one university, college, technical school,
98	98	or other nonprofit workforce training provider;
99	99	(B) one chamber of commerce, local workforce
100	100	agency, local employer, or other public or private participating
101	101	entity;
102	102	(C) one economic development authority; and
103	103	(D) one community or faith-based nonprofit
104	104	organization that works with one or more targeted populations;
105	105	(2) assist an eligible individual in obtaining
106	106	education, skills training, and labor market information to enhance
107	107	the individual's employability in green industries; and
108	108	(3) assist in the development of a highly skilled and
109	109	productive workforce in green industries.
110	110	(b) A training program awarded a grant under this subchapter
111	111	shall target a population of eligible individuals for training that
112	112	includes:
113	113	(1) workers in high-demand green industries who are in
114	114	or preparing for high-wage occupations;
115	115	(2) workers in declining industries who may be
116	116	retrained for high-wage occupations in a high-demand green
117	117	industry;
118	118	(3) agriculture, timber, or energy sector workers who
119	119	may be retrained for high-wage occupations in a high-demand green
120	120	industry;
121	121	(4) veterans or past or present members of the armed
122	122	forces of the United States, including the state military forces,
123	123	or a reserve component of the armed forces or the national guard;
124	124	(5) unemployed workers;
125	125	(6) low-income workers, unemployed youth and adults,
126	126	individuals who did not complete high school, or other underserved
127	127	sectors of the workforce in high poverty areas; or
128	128	(7) individuals otherwise determined by the
129	129	commission to be disadvantaged and in need of training to obtain
130	130	employment.
131	131	(c) A training program may receive funding under this
132	132	chapter for a period not to exceed three years.
133	133	(d) A training program may use grant funds for support
134	134	services, including basic skills, literacy, GED, English as a
135	135	second language, and job readiness training, career guidance, and
136	136	referral services.
137	137	(e) A percentage of the grant, to be determined by the
138	138	commission, must be devoted to administrative costs, costs related
139	139	to hiring instructors and purchasing equipment, and tuition
140	140	assistance.
141	141	Sec. 490D.033. APPLICATION. (a) A regional partnership,
142	142	as described by Section 490D.032, may apply for a grant under this
143	143	subchapter in the manner prescribed by the commission.
144	144	(b) The grant application must require the applicant to
145	145	provide to the commission the applicant's plan to continue to
146	146	operate the training program after the grant expires.
147	147	Sec. 490D.034. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS IN AWARDING
148	148	GRANTS. (a) In addition to the factors described by Sections
149	149	490D.032 and 490D.033, in determining whether to award a grant to an
150	150	applicant under this subchapter, the commission shall give
151	151	preference to a training program that:
152	152	(1) provides certification and a career advancement
153	153	mechanism to a worker who receives green job skills training under
154	154	the program; and
155	155	(2) leverages additional public and private resources
156	156	to fund the program, including cash or in-kind matches.
157	157	(b) Grants shall be awarded in a manner that ensures
158	158	geographic diversity.
159	159	Sec. 490D.035. RESERVATION FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS. Twenty
160	160	percent of the funds available for grant programs under this
161	161	chapter must be reserved for job skills training programs that
162	162	serve the unemployed and individuals whose incomes are at or below
163	163	200 percent of the federal poverty level.
164	164	Sec. 490D.036. REPORT. (a) Not later than the 30th day
165	165	after the date funding for a grant under this chapter ends, the
166	166	grant recipient shall submit a report to the commission that
167	167	contains the following information:
168	168	(1) the number of participants who entered the
169	169	program;
170	170	(2) the demographics of the participants, including
171	171	race, gender, age, and significant barriers to education such as
172	172	limited English proficiency, a criminal record, or a physical or
173	173	mental disability;
174	174	(3) services received by participants, including
175	175	training, education, and support services;
176	176	(4) the amount of program spending per participant;
177	177	(5) program completion rates;
178	178	(6) factors determined to interfere significantly
179	179	with program participation or completion;
180	180	(7) the average wage at placement, including benefits,
181	181	and the rate of average wage increases after one year; and
182	182	(8) any post-employment support services provided.
183	183	(b) Not later than October 1 of each even-numbered year, the
184	184	commission shall submit a report to the governor, the lieutenant
185	185	governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives that
186	186	includes a summary of all information submitted under Subsection
187	187	(a).
188	188	Sec. 490D.037. STANDARDS. The commission by rule shall
189	189	adopt standards for a green job skills training program awarded a
190	190	grant under this subchapter.
191	191	SECTION 3. The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules
192	192	for the program under Subchapter C, Chapter 490D, Government Code,
193	193	as added by this Act, not later than March 1, 2010.
194	194	SECTION 4. Implementation of the program under Subchapter
195	195	C, Chapter 490D, Government Code, as added by this Act, is
196	196	contingent on appropriation of funding by the legislature.
197	197	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
198	198	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
199	199	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
200	200	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
201	201	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.