| 1 | 1 | | 81R8473 MCK-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1250 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to the administration of certain programs to assist |
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| 8 | 8 | | certain foster children in obtaining postsecondary education and |
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| 9 | 9 | | training. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (1) "Department" means the Department of Family and |
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| 13 | 13 | | Protective Services. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (2) "Program" means the education training and voucher |
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| 15 | 15 | | program component of the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence |
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| 16 | 16 | | Program (42 U.S.C. Section 677). |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The department shall undertake a comprehensive review |
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| 18 | 18 | | of the program as provided by this section. |
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| 19 | 19 | | (c) The department shall develop a program improvement plan |
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| 20 | 20 | | to streamline and improve the administration of the program by: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) simplifying the application for participation in |
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| 22 | 22 | | the program by requiring: |
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| 23 | 23 | | (A) proof of enrollment at an institution; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (B) a mid-semester attendance verification; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (C) only those additional criteria that are |
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| 26 | 26 | | essential to the proper expenditure of funds under the program; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2) ensuring that program funds are made available to |
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| 28 | 28 | | students before the start of each term, quarter, or semester for |
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| 29 | 29 | | which the funds are needed so that the students are able to use the |
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| 30 | 30 | | funds to secure housing and purchase textbooks; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (3) improving support for students eligible for |
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| 32 | 32 | | program benefits who are struggling financially or academically; |
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| 33 | 33 | | and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) providing comprehensive transition planning for: |
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| 35 | 35 | | (A) extended school holidays; or |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) life after higher education is completed. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) In developing the program improvement plan, the |
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| 38 | 38 | | department shall solicit the input of students, the Texas Education |
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| 39 | 39 | | Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, community |
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| 40 | 40 | | colleges, the statewide Youth Leadership Council, and other |
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| 41 | 41 | | interested persons. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (e) The department shall consider contracting with an |
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| 43 | 43 | | outside contractor to assist the department in streamlining the |
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| 44 | 44 | | administration of the program. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (f) Not later than December 1, 2010, the department shall |
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| 46 | 46 | | prepare a report to the legislature regarding the implementation |
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| 47 | 47 | | and success of the program. The report must include the following |
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| 48 | 48 | | information for the two preceding fiscal years: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) an analysis of program costs, including: |
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| 50 | 50 | | (A) the amounts appropriated to the department |
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| 51 | 51 | | for the program; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (B) the costs of administering and overseeing the |
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| 53 | 53 | | program; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (C) the total amount of program funds disbursed |
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| 55 | 55 | | to students; |
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| 56 | 56 | | (D) the average amount of program funds disbursed |
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| 57 | 57 | | per student; |
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| 58 | 58 | | (E) the amount of lapsed funds, if any; and |
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| 59 | 59 | | (F) the estimated amount of financial need for |
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| 60 | 60 | | the average student participating in the program not covered by |
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| 61 | 61 | | program funds; and |
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| 62 | 62 | | (2) student data, including: |
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| 63 | 63 | | (A) the number of students eligible for the |
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| 64 | 64 | | program; |
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| 65 | 65 | | (B) the number of students who received program |
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| 66 | 66 | | funds; |
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| 67 | 67 | | (C) the percentage of students receiving program |
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| 68 | 68 | | funds who made satisfactory grades each semester; and |
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| 69 | 69 | | (D) the number of students each year who: |
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| 70 | 70 | | (i) reapplied for program funding; and |
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| 71 | 71 | | (ii) graduated from an institution of |
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| 72 | 72 | | higher education. |
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| 73 | 73 | | (g) The department, with assistance from the Texas Higher |
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| 74 | 74 | | Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission, |
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| 75 | 75 | | shall develop a method to track the outcomes of former foster youth |
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| 76 | 76 | | who participate in the program, including an analysis of the number |
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| 77 | 77 | | of students who received program funds who enter the workforce |
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| 78 | 78 | | after graduation in the field for which they were educated. |
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| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 2. This Act expires September 1, 2011. |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 81 | 81 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 82 | 82 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 83 | 83 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 84 | 84 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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