By: Hinojosa S.B. No. 756
(Muñoz, Jr., Lopez)
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the administration of the Jobs and Education for Texans
(JET) 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-a) to read as follows:
(1-a) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization
exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section
501(c)(3) of that code.
SECTION 2. Section 134.003, Education Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to read as
follows:
(b) The advisory board is composed of eight [six] 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 commissioner of
education;
(6) two members [one member] appointed by the
commission, one of whom must represent a nonprofit organization
located in this state that provides, or has experience in
providing, training services that prepare low-income students for
careers in high-demand occupations; and
(7) [(6)] the chair of the commission, who serves as
the presiding officer.
(b-1) Before appointing the members described by Subsection
(b)(6), the commission shall publish a request for applications and
must consider appointing qualified individuals from among the
resulting applicant pool.
SECTION 3. 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 shall establish and administer the
Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants
to public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public
state colleges, eligible nonprofit organizations, 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 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 for the following purposes:
(1) to develop, support, or expand programs of
nonprofit organizations that meet the requirements of Section
134.005 and that prepare low-income students for careers in
high-demand occupations; and
(2) to defray the start-up costs associated with the
development of new career and technical education programs at
public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state
colleges, and independent school districts described under Section
134.007 that meet the requirements of Section 134.006.
SECTION 4. Chapter 134, Education Code, is amended by
adding Section 134.005 to read as follows:
Sec. 134.005. GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR
INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. (a) The commission may award
a grant to a nonprofit organization eligible under Subsection (b)
for the development, support, or expansion of programs to prepare
low-income students for careers in high-demand occupations.
(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a
nonprofit organization must:
(1) provide a program to offer assistance to
low-income students in preparing for, applying to, and enrolling in
a public junior college or public technical institute;
(2) be governed by a board or other governing
structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
community organizations and members of the local business
community;
(3) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the advisory
board that the organization's program has achieved or will achieve
the following measures of success among program participants to the
extent applicable to the type of program the organization provides:
(A) above-average completion of developmental
education among participating public junior college or public
technical institute students;
(B) above-average persistence rates among
participating public junior college or public technical institute
students;
(C) above-average certificate or degree
completion rates by participating students within a three-year
period compared to demographically comparable public junior
college and public technical institute students; and
(D) employment of participating students at an
average full-time starting wage that is equal to or greater than
the prevailing wage for the occupation entered; and
(4) provide matching funds in accordance with rules
adopted under Section 134.008.
(c) The matching funds required under Subsection (b)(4) may
be obtained from any source available to the nonprofit
organization, including in-kind contributions, community or
foundation grants, individual contributions, and local
governmental agency operating funds.
(d) Grants awarded under this section must be awarded in a
manner that takes a balanced geographical distribution into
consideration.
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.