Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1312 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R5487 JRJ-D
2	2	By: Shapiro S.B. No. 1312
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to programs and funding to support adult and postsecondary
8	8	education and workforce development at public junior colleges and
9	9	public technical institutes.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
12	12	by adding Chapter 134 to read as follows:
13	13	CHAPTER 134. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND
14	14	EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS
15	15	SUBCHAPTER A. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET)
16	16	GRANT PROGRAM
17	17	Sec. 134.001. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, "public
18	18	junior college" and "public technical institute" have the meanings
19	19	assigned by Section 61.003.
20	20	Sec. 134.002. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET) FUND. (a)
21	21	The comptroller shall establish and administer the Jobs and
22	22	Education for Texans (JET) fund as a dedicated account in the
23	23	general revenue fund.
24	24	(b) The following amounts shall be deposited in the fund:
25	25	(1) any amounts appropriated by the legislature for
26	26	the fund for purposes of this subchapter;
27	27	(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the
28	28	fund; and
29	29	(3) gifts, grants, and other donations received for
30	30	the fund.
31	31	Sec. 134.003. ADVISORY BOARD. (a) An advisory board of
32	32	education and workforce stakeholders is created to assist the
33	33	comptroller in administering this chapter.
34	34	(b) The advisory board is composed of seven members who
35	35	serve two-year terms and are appointed as follows:
36	36	(1) one member appointed by the governor;
37	37	(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor;
38	38	(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of
39	39	representatives;
40	40	(4) one member appointed by the Texas Higher Education
41	41	Coordinating Board;
42	42	(5) one member appointed by the Texas Workforce
43	43	Commission;
44	44	(6) one member of the public appointed by the
45	45	comptroller; and
46	46	(7) the comptroller, who serves as the chairperson.
47	47	(c) The advisory board shall meet at least once each quarter
48	48	to review received applications and recommend awarding grants under
49	49	this subchapter.
50	50	Sec. 134.004. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET) GRANT
51	51	PROGRAM. The comptroller shall establish and administer the Jobs
52	52	and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants to
53	53	public junior colleges and public technical institutes that apply
54	54	to the advisory board in the manner prescribed by the advisory
55	55	board. The comptroller shall award the grants on the advice and
56	56	recommendations of the advisory board. Grants may be awarded under
57	57	this subchapter from the JET fund for the following purposes:
58	58	(1) to expand and support programs that meet the
59	59	requirements of Section 134.005 and that prepare low-income
60	60	students for careers in high-demand occupations;
61	61	(2) to defray the startup costs associated with the
62	62	development of new career and technical education programs that
63	63	meet the requirements of Section 134.006; and
64	64	(3) to provide scholarships for students in career and
65	65	technical education programs who meet the requirements of Section
66	66	134.007.
67	67	Sec. 134.005. GRANTS FOR INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL
68	68	PROGRAMS. (a) The comptroller may award a grant for the
69	69	development of programs to prepare low-income students for careers
70	70	in high-demand occupations.
71	71	(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
72	72	program must:
73	73	(1) provide assistance to those students in preparing
74	74	for, applying to, and enrolling in a public junior college or public
75	75	technical institute; and
76	76	(2) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the advisory
77	77	board:
78	78	(A) above average completion of developmental
79	79	education among participating public junior college or public
80	80	technical institute students;
81	81	(B) above average persistence rates among
82	82	participating public junior college or public technical institute
83	83	students;
84	84	(C) above average certificate or degree
85	85	completion rates by participating students within a three-year
86	86	period compared to demographically comparable public junior
87	87	college and public technical institute students; and
88	88	(D) employment of participating students at an
89	89	average full-time starting wage that is equal to or greater than
90	90	the prevailing wage for the occupation entered.
91	91	(c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
92	92	public junior college or public technical institute must provide
93	93	matching funds in accordance with rules adopted under Section
94	94	134.008. The matching funds may be obtained from any source
95	95	available to the college or institute, including in-kind
96	96	contributions, community or foundation grants, individual
97	97	contributions, and local governmental agency operating funds.
98	98	(d) Grants awarded under this section must be awarded in a
99	99	manner that takes a balanced geographical distribution into
100	100	consideration.
101	101	Sec. 134.006. FUNDING FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
102	102	PROGRAMS. (a) The comptroller may award a grant for the
103	103	development of new career and technical education courses or
104	104	programs at public junior colleges and public technical institutes.
105	105	(b) A grant received under this section may be used only:
106	106	(1) to support courses or programs that prepare
107	107	students for career employment in occupations that are identified
108	108	by local businesses as being in high demand;
109	109	(2) to finance initial costs of career and technical
110	110	education course or program development, including the costs of
111	111	constructing or renovating facilities, purchasing equipment, and
112	112	other expenses associated with the development of a new course; and
113	113	(3) to finance a career and technical education course
114	114	or program that leads to a license, certificate, or postsecondary
115	115	degree.
116	116	(c) In awarding a grant under this section, the comptroller
117	117	shall primarily consider the potential economic returns to the
118	118	state from the development of the career and technical education
119	119	course or program, and may consider whether the course or program is
120	120	part of a new, emerging industry or high-demand occupation.
121	121	(d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
122	122	public junior college or public technical institute must provide
123	123	matching funds in accordance with rules adopted under Section
124	124	134.008. The matching funds may be obtained from any source
125	125	available to the college, including in-kind contributions,
126	126	industry consortia, community or foundation grants, individual
127	127	contributions, and local governmental agency operating funds.
128	128	Sec. 134.007. SCHOLARSHIPS. (a) The comptroller may award
129	129	a scholarship to a public junior college or public technical
130	130	institute student.
131	131	(b) To be eligible to receive a scholarship under this
132	132	section, a student must:
133	133	(1) demonstrate financial need; and
134	134	(2) be enrolled in a training program for a
135	135	high-demand occupation, as determined by the comptroller on the
136	136	recommendation of the advisory board.
137	137	Sec. 134.008. RULES. The comptroller shall adopt rules as
138	138	necessary for the administration of this subchapter.
139	139	SECTION 2. Section 29.255, Education Code, is amended by
140	140	adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:
141	141	(c) The agency shall allocate funds under this section to
142	142	the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in an amount
143	143	sufficient for the development, implementation, and administration
144	144	of the adult basic education pilot program established under
145	145	Section 61.0764.
146	146	SECTION 3. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
147	147	amended by adding Section 61.0764 to read as follows:
148	148	Sec. 61.0764. ADULT BASIC EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In
149	149	this section, "pilot program" means the adult basic education pilot
150	150	program established under this section.
151	151	(b) Using funds received under Section 29.255(c), the board
152	152	by rule shall establish a pilot program under which participating
153	153	junior college districts receive funding to establish adult
154	154	education programs that focus on:
155	155	(1) the provision of developmental education to
156	156	support the transition from high school to college or a career; and
157	157	(2) dropout recovery.
158	158	(c) To participate in the pilot program, a junior college
159	159	district must apply to the board in the manner prescribed by the
160	160	board. The application must include a detailed plan developed by
161	161	the junior college district for the district's adult education
162	162	program. The board may select for participation in the pilot
163	163	program those junior college districts whose plans serve the
164	164	purposes of the pilot program as determined by the board.
165	165	(d) The board may adopt rules necessary to administer this
166	166	section.
167	167	SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
168	168	shall adopt the rules required by Section 61.0764, Education Code,
169	169	as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes
170	170	effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt the
171	171	initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.
172	172	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
173	173	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
174	174	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
175	175	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
176	176	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.