By: Clardy (Senate Sponsor - West) H.B. No. 3062
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2015;
May 4, 2015, read first time and referred to Committee on Higher
Education; May 13, 2015, reported favorably by the following vote:
Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 13, 2015, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 134.001, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subdivision (1) to read as follows:
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce
Commission.
SECTION 2. Section 134.002(a), Education Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(a) The commission [comptroller] shall establish and
administer the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) fund as a
dedicated account in the general revenue fund.
SECTION 3. Section 134.003, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 134.003. ADVISORY BOARD. (a) An advisory board of
education and workforce stakeholders is created to assist the
commission [comptroller] in administering this chapter.
(b) The advisory board is composed of six [seven] members
who serve two-year terms and are appointed as follows:
(1) one member appointed by the governor;
(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor;
(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives;
(4) one member appointed by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board;
(5) one member appointed by the commission [Texas
Workforce Commission]; and
(6) the chair of the commission [one member of the
public appointed by the comptroller; and
[(7) the comptroller], who serves as the presiding
officer.
(c) The advisory board shall meet at least once each
quarter, or as needed, to review received applications and
recommend awarding grants under this chapter.
SECTION 4. Section 134.004, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 134.004. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET) GRANT
PROGRAM. (a) The commission [comptroller] shall establish and
administer the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to
provide grants to public junior colleges, [and] public technical
institutes, and independent school districts described under
Section 134.007 that apply to the advisory board in the manner
prescribed by the advisory board. The commission [comptroller]
shall award the grants on the advice and recommendations of the
advisory board.
(b) Grants may be awarded under this chapter from the Jobs
and Education for Texans (JET) fund to defray the start-up costs
associated with the development of new career and technical
education programs at public junior colleges, [and] public
technical institutes, and independent school districts described
under Section 134.007 that meet the requirements of Section
134.006.
SECTION 5. Sections 134.006(a), (c), and (d), Education
Code, are amended to read as follows:
(a) The commission [comptroller] may award a grant for the
development of new career and technical education courses or
programs at public junior colleges, [and] public technical
institutes, and independent school districts.
(c) In awarding a grant under this section, the commission
[comptroller] shall primarily consider the potential economic
returns to the state from the development of the career and
technical education course or program. The commission
[comptroller] may also consider whether the course or program:
(1) is part of a new, emerging industry or high-demand
occupation;
(2) offers new or expanded dual credit career and
technical educational opportunities in public high schools; or
(3) is provided in cooperation with other public
junior colleges or public technical institutes across existing
service areas.
(d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
public junior college, [or] public technical institute, or
independent school district described under Section 134.007 must
provide matching funds in accordance with rules adopted under
Section 134.008. The matching funds may be obtained from any source
available to the public junior college, public [or] technical
institute, or independent school district, including [in-kind
contributions,] industry consortia, community or foundation
grants, individual contributions, and local governmental agency
operating funds.
SECTION 6. Chapter 134, Education Code, is amended by
adding Section 134.007 to read as follows:
Sec. 134.007. GRANTS AWARDED TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL
DISTRICT. The commission may award a grant to an independent school
district under this chapter if the district has entered into a
partnership with a public junior college or public technical
institute for the purpose of:
(1) promoting career and technical education to the
district's students; or
(2) offering dual credit courses to the district's
students.
SECTION 7. Section 134.008, Education Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 134.008. RULES. The commission [comptroller] shall
adopt rules as necessary for the administration of this chapter.
SECTION 8. (a) Not later than September 1, 2015:
(1) the administration of the Jobs and Education for
Texans Grant Program shall be transferred from the comptroller to
the Texas Workforce Commission;
(2) all rules, forms, policies, procedures, or
decisions of the comptroller that are related to the Jobs and
Education for Texans Grant Program are continued in effect as
rules, forms, policies, procedures, or decisions of the Texas
Workforce Commission until superseded by a rule or other
appropriate act of the Texas Workforce Commission;
(3) all money, obligations, memoranda of
understanding, leases, rights, and contracts, including grant
agreements, of the comptroller related to the Jobs and Education
for Texans Grant Program are transferred to the Texas Workforce
Commission, and the Texas Workforce Commission assumes, without a
change in status, the position of the comptroller in all
transferred contracts, including grant agreements, related to the
Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Program;
(4) records in the custody of the comptroller related
to the Jobs and Education for Texans Grant Program are transferred
to and become the property of the Texas Workforce Commission; and
(5) a reference in law or administrative rule to the
comptroller relating to the administration of the Jobs and
Education for Texans Grant Program means the Texas Workforce
Commission.
(b) Before the transfer of the administration of the Jobs
and Education for Texans Grant Program, the comptroller and the
Texas Workforce Commission shall coordinate the transfer of powers
and duties, including records, appropriations, disbursements,
compliance audits, monitoring and enforcement, and other items, to
ensure a smooth transition.
SECTION 9. An independent school district may be awarded a
grant in accordance with Section 134.007, Education Code, as added
by this Act, beginning with the 2016-2017 academic year.
SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it
receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015.
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