Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4454 Compare Versions

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1	1	88R13683 KJE-D
2	2	By: Howard H.B. No. 4454
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the administration of the Texas Innovative Adult Career
8	8	Education (ACE) Grant Program by the Texas Higher Education
9	9	Coordinating Board.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Section 136.001, Education Code, is amended by
12	12	amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as
13	13	follows:
14	14	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
15	15	Education Coordinating Board.
16	16	(1-a) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization
17	17	exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal
18	18	Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section
19	19	501(c)(3) of that code.
20	20	SECTION 2. Section 136.005(a), Education Code, is amended
21	21	to read as follows:
22	22	(a) The coordinating board [grant administrator] shall
23	23	establish and administer the Texas Innovative Adult Career
24	24	Education (ACE) Grant Program to provide grants to:
25	25	(1) eligible nonprofit workforce intermediary and job
26	26	training organizations; and
27	27	(2) eligible nonprofit organizations providing job
28	28	training to veterans.
29	29	SECTION 3. Section 136.006, Education Code, is amended to
30	30	read as follows:
31	31	Sec. 136.006. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. (a) To be eligible
32	32	for a grant under the program, a nonprofit workforce intermediary
33	33	and job training organization must:
34	34	(1) apply to the coordinating board [grant
35	35	administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
36	36	[grant administrator];
37	37	(2) provide to eligible low-income students, in
38	38	partnership with public junior colleges, public state colleges, or
39	39	public technical institutes:
40	40	(A) job training; and
41	41	(B) a continuum of services designed to move a
42	42	program participant from application to employment, including
43	43	outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
44	44	career placement;
45	45	(3) be governed by a board or other governing
46	46	structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
47	47	community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
48	48	members of the local business community;
49	49	(4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
50	50	coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
51	51	organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
52	52	measures of success among program participants:
53	53	(A) above-average completion of developmental
54	54	education among participating public junior college, public state
55	55	college, or public technical institute students;
56	56	(B) above-average persistence rates among
57	57	participating public junior college, public state college, or
58	58	public technical institute students;
59	59	(C) above-average certificate or degree
60	60	completion rates by participating students within a three-year
61	61	period compared to demographically comparable public junior
62	62	college, public state college, and public technical institute
63	63	students; and
64	64	(D) entry into careers with significantly higher
65	65	earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
66	66	(5) provide matching funds in accordance with rules
67	67	adopted under this chapter.
68	68	(a-1) To be eligible for a grant under the program, a
69	69	nonprofit organization providing job training services to veterans
70	70	must:
71	71	(1) apply to the coordinating board [grant
72	72	administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
73	73	[grant administrator];
74	74	(2) provide to veterans, in partnership with public
75	75	junior colleges, public state colleges, or public technical
76	76	institutes:
77	77	(A) job training; and
78	78	(B) a continuum of services designed to move a
79	79	program participant from application to employment, including
80	80	outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
81	81	career placement;
82	82	(3) be governed by a board or other governing
83	83	structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
84	84	community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
85	85	members of the local business community;
86	86	(4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
87	87	coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
88	88	organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
89	89	measures of success among program participants:
90	90	(A) the measures prescribed by Subsections
91	91	(a)(4)(A)-(C);
92	92	(B) rapid attainment of civilian workforce
93	93	credentials; and
94	94	(C) entry into careers with significantly higher
95	95	earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
96	96	(5) provide matching funds in accordance with rules
97	97	adopted under this chapter.
98	98	(b) The matching funds required under Subsection (a)(5) or
99	99	(a-1)(5) may be obtained from any source available to the
100	100	organization, including in-kind contributions, community or
101	101	foundation grants, individual contributions, and local
102	102	governmental agency operating funds. The coordinating board [grant
103	103	administrator] may adopt rules requiring an organization to
104	104	demonstrate compliance with the matching funds requirement before
105	105	the payment of the next installment under an awarded grant.
106	106	SECTION 4. Section 136.007, Education Code, is amended to
107	107	read as follows:
108	108	Sec. 136.007. RULES. [(a)] The coordinating board [grant
109	109	administrator] shall adopt rules as necessary for the
110	110	administration of this chapter, including [in the manner provided
111	111	by Chapter 2001, Government Code, for a state agency.
112	112	[(b) The grant administrator, with recommendations of the
113	113	program advisory board, shall adopt] rules regarding eligibility,
114	114	program tuition and fees, administrative costs, matching funds, and
115	115	case management and other supports for the program. The rules may
116	116	include provisions for the payment in periodic installments of
117	117	grant awards.
118	118	SECTION 5. The following provisions of Chapter 136,
119	119	Education Code, are repealed:
120	120	(1) Sections 136.002 and 136.004; and
121	121	(2) Section 136.005(a-1).
122	122	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.