Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB661 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	87R147 MM-D
2	2	By: Powell S.B. No. 661
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures
8	8	Program to support educational and occupational skills training
9	9	opportunities and support services for students with intellectual
10	10	and developmental disabilities at public and private institutions
11	11	of higher education.
12	12	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	13	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
14	14	Subchapter OO to read as follows:
15	15	SUBCHAPTER OO. BUILDING BETTER FUTURES PROGRAM
16	16	Sec. 61.9971. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Building
17	17	Better Futures Program is to facilitate the delivery by
18	18	institutions of higher education and private or independent
19	19	institutions of higher education of educational and occupational
20	20	skills training opportunities and support services to students with
21	21	intellectual and developmental disabilities in an inclusive and
22	22	age-appropriate environment.
23	23	Sec. 61.9972. ADMINISTRATION; RULES. (a) The board shall
24	24	administer the Building Better Futures Program and adopt any rules
25	25	necessary to implement the program or this subchapter.
26	26	(b) The board may develop a competitive application process
27	27	for the award of funds to eligible institutions under the program.
28	28	(c) A program or course offered under the Building Better
29	29	Futures Program is exempt from the requirements of Sections 61.0512
30	30	and 61.822.
31	31	Sec. 61.9973. INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible
32	32	to participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an
33	33	institution of higher education or private or independent
34	34	institution of higher education:
35	35	(1) must:
36	36	(A) be approved by or awaiting approval from the
37	37	United States Department of Education to offer a comprehensive
38	38	transition and postsecondary program for students with
39	39	intellectual or developmental disabilities;
40	40	(B) develop and implement a selective admissions
41	41	process to select eligible students under Section 61.9974 for
42	42	admission to the institution's comprehensive transition and
43	43	postsecondary program; and
44	44	(C) award a certificate to each student who
45	45	successfully completes the Building Better Futures Program at the
46	46	institution; and
47	47	(2) may not allow credit hours completed under the
48	48	Building Better Futures Program to be transferred toward an
49	49	associate or baccalaureate degree program.
50	50	(b) The board shall establish criteria to ensure that each
51	51	eligible institution that has requested but not yet received
52	52	approval from the United States Department of Education for the
53	53	institution's comprehensive transition and postsecondary program
54	54	obtains that approval not later than the third anniversary of the
55	55	date the institution is initially selected by the board for
56	56	participation in the Building Better Futures Program.
57	57	Sec. 61.9974. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to
58	58	participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an applicant
59	59	must:
60	60	(1) apply for admission to a comprehensive transition
61	61	and postsecondary program, or a program that is awaiting approval
62	62	from the United States Department of Education as a comprehensive
63	63	transition and postsecondary program, at an eligible institution;
64	64	(2) be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the
65	65	United States;
66	66	(3) be a resident of this state under Section 54.052,
67	67	except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section;
68	68	(4) have an intellectual or developmental disability
69	69	diagnosed by a physician, psychologist, or other individual
70	70	qualified by license or statute to make such a diagnosis;
71	71	(5) be able and willing to learn and participate in an
72	72	inclusive classroom and work setting; and
73	73	(6) not be a danger to the applicant's self or others,
74	74	as determined by the accepting institution.
75	75	(b) An applicant who is a lawful permanent resident of the
76	76	United States must submit with the applicant's application a copy
77	77	of the applicant's lawful permanent resident form.
78	78	(c) An eligible institution may require an applicant or the
79	79	applicant's parent or guardian to provide proof of residency as
80	80	evidenced by one of the following:
81	81	(1) information from the Free Application for Federal
82	82	Student Aid;
83	83	(2) a driver's license issued by the Department of
84	84	Public Safety that has not expired;
85	85	(3) documentation of payment for personal or real
86	86	property taxes for the previous year;
87	87	(4) vehicle registration issued by the Texas
88	88	Department of Motor Vehicles that has not expired;
89	89	(5) a voter registration certificate issued in this
90	90	state that has not expired; or
91	91	(6) documentation under Section 54.053.
92	92	(d) An applicant who is not a resident of this state may be
93	93	eligible to participate in the Building Better Futures Program at
94	94	an eligible institution only if an opening is available after all
95	95	resident applicants are admitted.
96	96	Sec. 61.9975. AWARD OF FUNDS. The board may award funds
97	97	under the Building Better Futures Program only to eligible
98	98	institutions to be used by the institutions to facilitate the
99	99	delivery of educational and occupational skills training
100	100	opportunities and support services to students participating in the
101	101	program.
102	102	Sec. 61.9976. FUNDING. The board may use any available
103	103	revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and
104	104	accept gifts, grants, and donations from a public or private source
105	105	for the purposes of this subchapter.
106	106	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
107	107	shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter OO, Chapter 61,
108	108	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
109	109	the effective date of this Act.
110	110	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
111	111	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
112	112	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
113	113	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
114	114	Act takes effect September 1, 2021.