85R10025 KSD-F
By: Ashby, Clardy, Phillips, Stephenson, H.B. No. 2994
Blanco, et al.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to workforce continuing education offered by public junior
colleges.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter L to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER L. WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION
Sec. 130.301. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Adult" means a person who:
(A) is 17 years of age and has been awarded a high
school diploma or its equivalent; or
(B) is 18 years of age or older, regardless of the
person's previous educational experience.
(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board.
(3) "Workforce continuing education" means a program
of instruction that:
(A) is designed primarily for adults; and
(B) is intended, on completion by a participant,
to prepare the participant to qualify to apply for and accept an
employment offer or a job upgrade within a specific occupational
category or to bring the participant's knowledge or skills up to
date on new developments in a particular occupation or profession.
(4) "Workforce continuing education course" means a
course of instruction in workforce continuing education that is
approved by the coordinating board.
Sec. 130.302. FORMULA FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE CONTINUING
EDUCATION COURSES. Notwithstanding Section 130.003 or any other
law, contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a student in a
workforce continuing education course offered by a public junior
college shall be included in the contact hours used to determine the
college's proportionate share of state money appropriated and
distributed to public junior colleges under Sections 130.003 and
130.0031, regardless of whether:
(1) the course is taken by a student who is not an
adult under Section 130.303; or
(2) the college waives all or part of the tuition or
fees for the course under Section 130.304.
Sec. 130.303. WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS. A public junior college may enter into an
agreement with a school district, organization, or other person
that operates a high school to offer workforce continuing education
courses to persons enrolled in a high school who are at least 16
years of age on the census date of the applicable course. For
purposes of this section and Section 130.304, a person who is
enrolled in a school that is not formally organized as a high school
is considered to be enrolled in high school.
Sec. 130.304. WAIVER OF TUITION AND FEES FOR CERTAIN
WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES. A public junior college
may waive all or part of the tuition or fees charged to a student for
a workforce continuing education course if:
(1) the student:
(A) is enrolled in high school;
(B) is 16 years of age or older, has had the
disabilities of minority removed, and is not enrolled in secondary
education; or
(C) is under the age of 18 and is incarcerated;
(2) all or a significant portion of the college's costs
for facilities, instructor salaries, equipment, and other expenses
for the course are covered by business, industry, or other local
public or private entities; or
(3) the course is taught in a federal correctional
facility and the facilities, equipment, supplies, and other
expenses for the course are funded by the federal government.
Sec. 130.305. RULES. The coordinating board shall adopt
any rules the coordinating board considers necessary for the
administration of this subchapter. In adopting those rules, the
coordinating board shall use the negotiated rulemaking procedures
under Chapter 2008, Government Code.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.