86R9295 KSD-F
By: Frullo, Longoria H.B. No. 2416
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the administration by the Texas Workforce Commission of
a workforce diploma pilot program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
adding Chapter 317 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 317. WORKFORCE DIPLOMA PILOT PROGRAM
Sec. 317.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Adult" means any individual who is over the age of
compulsory school attendance prescribed by Section 25.085,
Education Code.
(2) "Program" means the workforce diploma pilot
program established under this chapter.
Sec. 317.002. PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION;
PURPOSE. The commission, in consultation with the Texas Education
Agency, shall establish and administer a workforce diploma pilot
program under which eligible high school diploma-granting entities
participating in the program may be reimbursed for successfully
assisting adult students to obtain a high school diploma and
develop technical career readiness skills and employability.
Sec. 317.003. REQUEST FOR PROGRAM PROVIDER
QUALIFICATIONS. Not later than October 15 of each year, the
commission shall publish a request for qualifications for providers
to participate in the program.
Sec. 317.004. PROVIDER ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to
participate as a provider under the program, a provider must:
(1) apply to the commission in the manner prescribed
by commission rule;
(2) be a public, nonprofit, or private high school
diploma-granting entity accredited by a regional accrediting body;
(3) have at least two years of experience providing
dropout reengagement services to adult students, including
recruitment, learning plan development, and proactive coaching and
mentoring, leading to the obtainment of a high school diploma;
(4) be equipped to:
(A) provide:
(i) academic skill intake assessment and
transcript evaluations;
(ii) remediation coursework in literacy and
numeracy;
(iii) a research-validated academic
resiliency assessment and intervention;
(iv) employability skills development
aligned to employer needs;
(v) career pathways coursework;
(vi) preparation for the attainment of
industry-recognized credentials; and
(vii) career placement services; and
(B) develop a learning plan that integrates
academic requirements and career goals; and
(5) offer a course catalog that includes all courses
necessary to meet high school graduation requirements in this
state.
Sec. 317.005. PROVIDER APPROVAL; LIST OF APPROVED
PROVIDERS. (a) Not later than November 15 of each year, the
commission shall publish a list of providers approved by the
commission to participate in the program during the next calendar
year.
(b) An approved provider maintains approval to participate
in the program during a subsequent calendar year without reapplying
to the commission unless the provider is removed from the approved
provider list as provided by Section 317.008.
Sec. 317.006. REIMBURSEMENT OF PROGRAM PROVIDERS FOR
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. (a) To the extent money is available for that
purpose, the commission shall reimburse each approved provider
participating in the program for the achievement of the following
milestones by students receiving services from the provider:
(1) $250 for the completion of a half credit;
(2) $250 for the completion of an employability skills
certification program equal to at least one Carnegie unit or the
equivalent;
(3) $250 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
credential requiring not more than 50 hours of training;
(4) $500 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
credential requiring at least 50 but not more than 100 hours of
training;
(5) $750 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
credential requiring more than 100 hours of training; and
(6) $1,000 for the obtainment of a high school
diploma.
(b) Not later than the 10th calendar day of each month, an
approved provider participating in the program shall submit to the
commission an invoice for the milestones achieved by the provider's
students during the previous calendar month.
(c) The commission shall reimburse approved program
providers in the order in which invoices are received by the
commission until all funds available for the program are exhausted.
Sec. 317.007. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than January 15 of
each year, each approved provider that participated in the program
during the previous calendar year shall report to the commission
the following data regarding the provider's students for that year:
(1) the number of students for which the provider
received reimbursement under the program;
(2) the total number of credits earned by the
students;
(3) the total number of employability skills
certification programs completed by the students;
(4) the total number of industry-recognized
credentials attained by the students in each of the funding tiers
described by Sections 317.006(a)(3), (4), and (5); and
(5) the number of students who obtained a high school
diploma.
Sec. 317.008. PROVIDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW. (a) The
commission by rule shall prescribe minimum performance standards
for providers participating in the program. The minimum
performance standards must include:
(1) a graduation rate of at least 50 percent; and
(2) a program cost per graduate of $7,000 or less.
(b) For purposes of Subsections (a)(1) and (2), the
commission by rule shall develop formulas to make the appropriate
calculations. The graduation rate must be calculated one cohort
year in arrears.
(c) The commission shall review data from each
participating approved provider annually to ensure that the
services offered by the provider are meeting the minimum
performance standards. If the commission determines that an
approved provider did not meet the minimum performance standards in
the previous calendar year, the commission shall place the provider
on probationary status for the remainder of the current calendar
year.
(d) The commission shall remove from the approved provider
list published under Section 317.005 any provider that does not
meet the minimum performance standards for two consecutive calendar
years.
Sec. 317.009. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each
even-numbered year, the commission shall submit to the legislature
a report on the effectiveness of the program. The commission shall
include in the report a recommendation regarding whether the
program should be continued, expanded, or terminated.
Sec. 317.010. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September
1, 2025.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.