82R10483 KYF-D
By: West S.B. No. 1487
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the regulation of career schools and colleges and
requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to submit a report to the
legislature.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 132, Education Code, is
amended by adding Sections 132.024 and 132.025 to read as follows:
Sec. 132.024. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) The commission shall
report to the legislature not later than December 1 of each
even-numbered year on the state of career schools or colleges in
this state. The commission shall include in its report the
following data relating to career schools or colleges for the most
recent two calendar years for which the information is available:
(1) the number of career schools or colleges certified
by the commission to operate in this state;
(2) the programs offered at each career school or
college;
(3) the number of persons in this state enrolled in a
career school or college, disaggregated by career school or college
and each program of a school or college;
(4) the graduation rate for:
(A) each career school or college; and
(B) each program offered at the school or
college;
(5) the percentage of graduates of the career school
or college who pass the applicable licensing or certification
examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or
college:
(A) on the first attempt; and
(B) on the second or a subsequent attempt;
(6) the employment rate for graduates of each career
school or college; and
(7) the percentage of students who graduate from each
career school or college with education-related debt and the
average amount of education-related debt of those students.
(b) The commission shall request from each career school or
college governed by this chapter any information the commission
considers necessary for the commission to prepare the report
required under this section.
Sec. 132.025. INTERNET ACCESS TO CAREER SCHOOL OR COLLEGE
INFORMATION. (a) The commission shall make available to the public
on its Internet website the information provided to the agency
under Section 132.0565(c).
(b) The information required by Subsection (a) must be:
(1) accessible from the commission's Internet website
home page by use of not more than three links;
(2) searchable by keywords and phrases, including the
name of a career school or college; and
(3) accessible to the public without requiring
registration or use of a user name, a password, or another user
identification.
(c) The commission shall update the commission's Internet
website as soon as practicable upon receiving updated information
from each career school or college.
SECTION 2. The heading to Section 132.056, Education Code,
is amended to read as follows:
Sec. 132.056. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL[;
RENEWAL].
SECTION 3. Section 132.056(g), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(g) Before the commission issues a certificate of approval
[or a renewal certificate of approval] under this section, the
commission may require a career school or college to comply with the
requirements of Section 132.0551 and to submit evidence of that
compliance to the commission.
SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 132, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 132.0565 to read as follows:
Sec. 132.0565. RENEWAL. (a) The commission shall conduct
an annual renewal evaluation of each career school or college
certified under this subchapter.
(b) At least 30 days before the expiration of a certificate
of approval, the career school or college shall submit to the
commission an application for renewal.
(c) In addition to any other information required by the
commission, the application for renewal submitted by a career
school or college must include the following information relating
to the school or college for the most recent calendar year for which
the information is available:
(1) the number of students enrolled in the school or
college;
(2) the programs offered by the school or college and
the number of students enrolled in each program;
(3) the graduation rate for the school or college and
for each program offered at the school or college;
(4) the percentage of graduates of the school or
college who pass the applicable licensing or certification
examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or
college:
(A) on the first attempt; and
(B) on the second or a subsequent attempt;
(5) the employment rate for graduates of the school or
college; and
(6) the percentage of students who graduate from the
school or college with education-related debt and the average
amount of education-related debt of those students.
(d) If a school or college fails to file a complete
application for renewal by the date prescribed by Subsection (b),
the school or college, as a condition of renewal, must pay, in
addition to the annual renewal fee, a late renewal fee in an amount
established by commission rule of at least $100.
(e) In determining whether to renew a certificate of
approval issued under this subchapter, the commission shall
consider:
(1) an on-site reexamination of the premises of the
school or college;
(2) an evaluation of the adequacy, including current
industry and technological standards, of the equipment and
instruction used by the career school or college for each program
offered; and
(3) other factors considered in the issuance of the
original certificate of approval.
(f) The commission may renew, revoke, or deny renewal of the
school's or college's certificate of approval.
(g) Before the commission renews a certificate of approval
under this section, the commission may require a career school or
college to comply with the requirements of Section 132.0551 and to
submit evidence of that compliance to the commission.
SECTION 5. Section 132.056(d), Education Code, is repealed.
SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act in amending
Section 132.056, Education Code, and adding Section 132.0565,
Education Code, apply only to an application for renewal of a
certificate of approval submitted on or after the effective date of
this Act. An application for renewal of a certificate of approval
submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
law in effect on the date the application for renewal of a
certificate of approval was submitted, and the former law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.