Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1102 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	S.B. No. 1102
	1	+	By: Creighton, et al. S.B. No. 1102
	2	+	(Parker)
2	3
3	4
	5	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	6		AN ACT
5	7		relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and
6	8		Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce
7	9		education.
8	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	11		SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
10	12		Subchapter T-2 to read as follows:
11	13		SUBCHAPTER T-2. TEXAS RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING THROUGH EDUCATION
12	14		(TRUE) PROGRAM
13	15		Sec. 61.881. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	16		(1) "Eligible entity" means:
15		-	(A) a ~~lower-division institution of higher~~
16		-	~~education~~;
17		-	(B) a consortium of ~~lower-division institutions~~
18		-	~~of higher education~~; or
	17	+	(A) a public junior college or public technical
	18	+	institute;
	19	+	(B) a consortium of public junior colleges or
	20	+	public technical institutes; or
19	21		(C) a local chamber of commerce, trade
20	22		association, or economic development corporation that partners
21		-	with a lower-division institution of higher education or a
22		-	consortium of lower-division institutions of higher education.
23		-	(2) "Lower-division institution of higher education"
24		-	means a public junior college, public state college, or public
25		-	technical institute.
26		-	(3) "Program" means the Texas Reskilling and
	23	+	with a public junior college or public technical institute or a
	24	+	consortium of public junior colleges or public technical
	25	+	institutes.
	26	+	(2) "Program" means the Texas Reskilling and
27	27		Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program established under this
28	28		subchapter.
29	29		Sec. 61.882. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION; PURPOSE. (a)
30	30		The Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE)
31	31		Program is established to strengthen the Texas workforce and build
32	32		a stronger Texas economy.
33	33		(b) The board shall administer the program in accordance
34	34		with this subchapter and rules adopted under this subchapter.
35	35		(c) Under the program, using funds appropriated or
36	36		otherwise available for the purpose, the board shall award grants
37	37		to eligible entities for creating, redesigning, or expanding
38	38		workforce training programs and delivering education and workforce
39	39		training that:
40	40		(1) lead to postsecondary industry certifications or
41	41		other workforce credentials required for high-demand occupations;
42	42		(2) are developed and provided in consultation with
43	43		employers who are hiring in high-demand occupations; and
44	44		(3) create pathways to employment for students and
45	45		learners.
46	46		(d) In awarding grants under this subchapter, the board:
47	47		(1) shall, to the greatest extent practicable:
48	48		(A) award grants to at least one eligible entity
49	49		in each region of the state; and
50	50		(B) ensure that each training program:
51	51		(i) matches regional workforce needs;
52	52		(ii) is supported by a labor market
53	53		analysis of job postings and employers hiring roles with the skills
54	54		developed by the program; and
55	55		(iii) does not duplicate existing program
56		-	offerings ~~except as necessary to accommodate regional demand~~; and
	56	+	offerings within the region; and
57	57		(2) may give preference to applicants that:
58		-	(A) represent a consortium of ~~lower-division~~
59		-	~~institutions of higher education~~;
	58	+	(A) represent a consortium of public junior
	59	+	colleges and public technical institutes;
60	60		(B) prioritize training to displaced workers;
61	61		(C) offer affordable training programs to
62	62		students; or
63	63		(D) partner with local chambers of commerce,
64	64		trade associations, economic development corporations, and local
65	65		workforce boards to analyze job postings and identify employers
66	66		hiring roles with the skills developed by the training programs.
67	67		Sec. 61.883. USE OF GRANT. (a) A grant awarded to an
68	68		eligible entity under this subchapter may be used only for the
69	69		support and maintenance of educational and general activities that
70	70		promote workforce learning, including:
71	71		(1) providing training in existing, new, or redesigned
72	72		accelerated programs that teach high-demand skills and lead to
73	73		postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce
74	74		credentials valued in growing occupations;
75	75		(2) developing new industry-aligned, high-demand
76	76		postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce
77	77		credentials and certificate programs or other courses of
78	78		instruction leading to those certifications or credentials that can
79	79		be completed in six months or less;
80	80		(3) redesigning existing postsecondary industry
81	81		certifications or credentials and certificate programs or other
82	82		courses of instruction leading to those certifications or
83	83		credentials to meet the standards under Subdivision (2);
84	84		(4) expanding institutional capacity to provide
85	85		high-demand postsecondary industry certifications or other
86	86		workforce credentials that are stackable in high-demand career
87	87		pathways and address the needs of high-demand occupations
88	88		identified by the Texas Workforce Commission or applicable local
89	89		workforce development boards;
90	90		(5) providing student aid awards to incentivize
91	91		enrollment in and completion of industry-aligned, high-demand
92	92		postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce
93	93		credentials and certificate programs or other courses of
94	94		instruction leading to those certifications or credentials; and
95	95		(6) tracking and reporting enrollment, credential
96	96		completion, and employment outcomes for students in courses and
97	97		programs described by this subsection to gauge the impact on
98	98		student success.
99	99		(b) Money received by an eligible entity under the program
100	100		in a fiscal year that is not used by the entity in that fiscal year
101	101		may be held and used by the entity in the subsequent fiscal year for
102	102		the purposes prescribed in this section if the entity provides to
103	103		the board a reasonable explanation for holding and using the money
104	104		in the subsequent fiscal year.
105	105		Sec. 61.884. RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS OR CREDENTIALS. (a)
106	106		The board, in collaboration with eligible entities, the Texas
107	107		Workforce Commission, and private employers, shall identify
108		-	existing and new postsecondary industry certifications or ~~other~~
109		-	workforce credentials valued in high-demand occupations.
	108	+	existing and develop new postsecondary industry certifications or
	109	+	other workforce credentials valued in high-demand occupations.
110	110		(b) The board, in consultation with eligible entities,
111	111		shall:
112	112		(1) identify postsecondary industry certifications or
113	113		other workforce credentials developed or redesigned using grant
114	114		funds under the program; and
115	115		(2) establish methods for collecting and reporting
116	116		data related to the certifications or credentials identified under
117	117		Subdivision (1).
118	118		(c) An eligible entity awarded a grant under this subchapter
119	119		may recommend outcomes related to the achievement or development of
120	120		postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce
121	121		credentials identified under this section to be considered by the
122	122		board for inclusion in the state's long-range master plan for
123	123		higher education developed under Section 61.051.
124	124		(d) In devising its funding formulas and making its
125	125		recommendations to the legislature relating to institutional
126		-	appropriations of funds for ~~lower-division institutions of higher~~
127		-	~~education~~ under Section 61.059, the board shall ~~incorporate the~~
128		-	consideration of the achievement or development of ~~postsecondary~~
129		-	industry certifications and other workforce ~~credentials identified~~
130		-	under this section.
	126	+	appropriations of funds for public junior colleges and public
	127	+	technical institutes under Section 61.059, the board shall
	128	+	incorporate the consideration of the achievement or development of
	129	+	postsecondary industry certifications and other workforce
	130	+	credentials identified under this section.
131	131		Sec. 61.885. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may
132	132		solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any
133	133		public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter.
134	134		Sec. 61.886. RULES. The board shall adopt rules for the
135	135		administration of this subchapter, including rules requiring
136	136		eligible entities awarded a grant under this subchapter to report
137	137		necessary information to the board.
138	138		SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
139	139		Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T-2, Chapter 61,
140	140		Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
141	141		the effective date of this Act.
142	142		(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
143	143		award grants under Subchapter T-2, Chapter 61, Education Code, as
144	144		added by this Act, beginning with the 2021 fall semester.
145	145		SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is
146	146		required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates
147	147		money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not
148	148		appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the coordinating
149	149		board may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other
150	150		appropriations available for that purpose.
151	151		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
152	152		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
153	153		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
154	154		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
155	155		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
156		-	______________________________ ______________________________
157		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
158		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1102 passed the Senate on
159		-	April 22, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0; and that
160		-	the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 28, 2021, by the
161		-	following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
162		-	______________________________
163		-	Secretary of the Senate
164		-	I hereby certify that S.B. No. 1102 passed the House, with
165		-	amendment, on May 20, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 121,
166		-	Nays 24, one present not voting.
167		-	______________________________
168		-	Chief Clerk of the House
169		-	Approved:
170		-	______________________________
171		-	Date
172		-	______________________________
173		-	Governor