Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4631 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	88R18916 KJE-F
2	2	By: Longoria H.B. No. 4631
3	3	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4631:
4	4	By: Kuempel C.S.H.B. No. 4631
5	5
6	6
7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the Opportunity High School
10	10	Diploma pilot program.
11	11	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	12	SECTION 1. Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by
13	13	adding Subchapter O to read as follows:
14	14	SUBCHAPTER O. OPPORTUNITY HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA PILOT PROGRAM
15	15	Sec. 130.451. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
16	16	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
17	17	Education Coordinating Board.
18	18	(2) "General academic teaching institution" has the
19	19	meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
20	20	(3) "Pilot program" means the Opportunity High School
21	21	Diploma pilot program established under this subchapter.
22	22	Sec. 130.452. PURPOSE. The purpose of the pilot program is
23	23	to provide an alternative means by which adult students enrolled in
24	24	a workforce education program at a public junior college may earn a
25	25	high school diploma at the college through concurrent enrollment in
26	26	a competency-based education program that enables students to
27	27	demonstrate knowledge substantially equivalent to the knowledge
28	28	required to earn a high school diploma in this state.
29	29	Sec. 130.453. ADMINISTRATION. The coordinating board shall
30	30	administer the pilot program in consultation with the Texas
31	31	Education Agency and the Texas Workforce Commission.
32	32	Sec. 130.454. APPROVAL OF ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
33	33	PROGRAM. (a) A public junior college may submit to the
34	34	coordinating board an application to participate in the pilot
35	35	program. The application must propose an alternative
36	36	competency-based high school diploma program to be offered for
37	37	concurrent enrollment to adult students without a high school
38	38	diploma who are enrolled in a workforce education program at the
39	39	college. The proposed program may include any combination of
40	40	instruction, curriculum, achievement, internships, or other means
41	41	by which a student may attain knowledge sufficient to adequately
42	42	prepare the student for postsecondary education or additional
43	43	workforce education.
44	44	(b) The coordinating board may approve not more than five
45	45	public junior colleges to participate in the pilot program.
46	46	(c) Subject to Subsection (b), the coordinating board shall
47	47	review and approve a public junior college's application to
48	48	participate in the pilot program if the board determines that the
49	49	college's proposed program described by Subsection (a) will provide
50	50	instruction and assessments appropriate to ensure that a student
51	51	who successfully completes the program demonstrates levels of
52	52	knowledge sufficient to adequately prepare the student for
53	53	postsecondary education or additional workforce education. The
54	54	coordinating board may coordinate with the Texas Education Agency
55	55	as necessary to make a determination under this subsection.
56	56	(d) A public junior college approved to participate in the
57	57	pilot program may:
58	58	(1) enter into an agreement with one or more public
59	59	junior colleges, general academic teaching institutions, school
60	60	districts, or nonprofit organizations to offer the program
61	61	described by Subsection (a); and
62	62	(2) offer the program described by Subsection (a) at
63	63	any campus of the college or an entity with which the college has
64	64	entered into an agreement under Subdivision (1).
65	65	Sec. 130.455. AWARD OF HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. (a) A public
66	66	junior college participating in the pilot program may award a high
67	67	school diploma to a student enrolled in the alternative
68	68	competency-based high school diploma program offered by the college
69	69	under the pilot program if the student performs satisfactorily on
70	70	assessment instruments prescribed by coordinating board rule.
71	71	(b) A high school diploma awarded under the pilot program is
72	72	equivalent to a high school diploma awarded under Section 28.025.
73	73	Sec. 130.456. FUNDING. (a) The coordinating board and the
74	74	Texas Workforce Commission shall coordinate to jointly identify
75	75	funding mechanisms, including grants, interagency contracts,
76	76	financial aid, or subsidies, available to public junior colleges
77	77	and students to encourage and facilitate participation in the pilot
78	78	program.
79	79	(b) A public junior college participating in the pilot
80	80	program is entitled to receive funding under Section 130.003 for
81	81	the pilot program in the manner provided by coordinating board
82	82	rule.
83	83	Sec. 130.457. REPORT. Not later than December 1, 2026, the
84	84	coordinating board shall submit to the legislature a report on the
85	85	effectiveness of the pilot program. The report must include a
86	86	recommendation regarding whether the pilot program should be
87	87	continued, expanded, or terminated.
88	88	Sec. 130.458. RULES. The coordinating board may adopt
89	89	rules as necessary to implement this subchapter.
90	90	Sec. 130.459. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires
91	91	September 1, 2027.
92	92	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
93	93	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
94	94	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
95	95	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
96	96	Act takes effect September 1, 2023.