Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2398 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R13671 SCL-D
2	2	By: Menéndez S.B. No. 2398
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to establishment of the higher education pilot program for
8	8	foster youth and former foster youth.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 264, Family Code, is
11	11	amended by adding Section 264.1218 to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 264.1218. HIGHER EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) In this
13	13	section, "pilot program" means the higher education pilot program
14	14	established under this section.
15	15	(b) The department shall establish a higher education pilot
16	16	program that provides foster youth and former foster youth in Bexar
17	17	County with:
18	18	(1) intensive outreach and support to:
19	19	(A) improve the understanding and preparation of
20	20	foster youth and former foster youth for enrollment in institutions
21	21	of higher education;
22	22	(B) increase the number of foster youth and
23	23	former foster youth who apply to institutions of higher education;
24	24	and
25	25	(C) increase the number of foster youth and
26	26	former foster youth enrollments at institutions of higher
27	27	education;
28	28	(2) education on:
29	29	(A) the benefits and opportunities of
30	30	postsecondary education;
31	31	(B) planning for postsecondary education;
32	32	(C) financial aid opportunities for enrollment
33	33	at institutions of higher education;
34	34	(D) the federal and state services and benefits,
35	35	including health and mental health care services, available to
36	36	foster youth and former foster youth while enrolled at an
37	37	institution of higher education;
38	38	(E) career exploration; and
39	39	(F) financial literacy training, including
40	40	security from identity theft;
41	41	(3) assistance with submitting applications for:
42	42	(A) enrollment at an institution of higher
43	43	education;
44	44	(B) financial aid for enrollment at an
45	45	institution of higher education; and
46	46	(C) scholarships available for foster youth and
47	47	former foster youth, including a state educational and training
48	48	voucher program under Section 477(i), Social Security Act (42
49	49	U.S.C. Section 677(i)); and
50	50	(4) a program, including transportation, provided at
51	51	no charge to socially and academically prepare foster youth and
52	52	former foster youth for postsecondary education during the summer
53	53	before a youth first attends an institution of higher education.
54	54	(c) The department shall collaborate with the Alamo
55	55	Community College District, The University of Texas at San Antonio,
56	56	and Texas A&M University--San Antonio to establish and operate the
57	57	pilot program. An institution of higher education participating in
58	58	the pilot program shall:
59	59	(1) provide foster youth and former foster youth with
60	60	flexibility and assistance in completing an application for
61	61	enrollment;
62	62	(2) coordinate programs with relevant interested
63	63	persons, both at the institution and outside the institution, to
64	64	increase the enrollment of foster youth and former foster youth at
65	65	the institution and align services for the youth;
66	66	(3) adjust the cost of attendance for foster youth and
67	67	former foster youth to include the cost of housing during periods of
68	68	non-enrollment;
69	69	(4) provide institutional aid to foster youth and
70	70	former foster youth to meet any cost of attendance not covered by
71	71	other federal or state educational grants;
72	72	(5) provide outreach to foster youth and former foster
73	73	youth to ensure the youth are aware of housing resources available
74	74	during periods of non-enrollment;
75	75	(6) subsidize any fees associated with orientation and
76	76	offer transportation at no charge to the foster youth or former
77	77	foster youth to orientation or for moving to the institution;
78	78	(7) hire and provide training for at least one
79	79	full-time employee, who has an advanced degree and at least two
80	80	years of relevant experience, to serve as a contact to provide case
81	81	management services and monthly face-to-face meetings with
82	82	students who are foster youth or former foster youth;
83	83	(8) establish or enhance campus support programs to
84	84	provide students who are foster youth or former foster youth with a
85	85	wide range of on-campus services, including:
86	86	(A) financial aid assistance;
87	87	(B) career advice; and
88	88	(C) leadership development;
89	89	(9) ensure the availability of robust physical and
90	90	mental student health services that meet the specific needs of
91	91	foster youth or former foster youth;
92	92	(10) establish or expand early alert systems to
93	93	identify and support foster youth or former foster youth who may be
94	94	struggling academically; and
95	95	(11) collect, review, and monitor information for
96	96	program improvement.
97	97	(d) The department shall complete an evaluation of the pilot
98	98	program not later than the second anniversary of the date the pilot
99	99	program begins.
100	100	(e) The department shall submit a written report on the
101	101	evaluation of the pilot program to the governor, lieutenant
102	102	governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. The report
103	103	must include:
104	104	(1) the number of foster youth or former foster youth
105	105	who participate in the pilot program;
106	106	(2) the number of foster youth or former foster youth
107	107	enrolled in an institution of higher education before and after the
108	108	pilot program; and
109	109	(3) a recommendation on whether to expand the pilot
110	110	program statewide.
111	111	(f) The executive commissioner may adopt rules necessary to
112	112	implement this section.
113	113	(g) This section expires September 1, 2023.
114	114	SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Department of
115	115	Family and Protective Services shall establish the pilot program
116	116	required by Section 264.1218, Family Code, as added by this Act.
117	117	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
118	118	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
119	119	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
120	120	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
121	121	Act takes effect September 1, 2019.