Texas 2023 - 88th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2029 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Creighton, Sparks S.B. No. 2029
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to the administration of the Texas Innovative Adult Career
7	7	Education (ACE) Grant Program by the Texas Higher Education
8	8	Coordinating Board.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Section 136.001, Education Code, is amended by
11	11	amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as
12	12	follows:
13	13	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
14	14	Education Coordinating Board.
15	15	(1-a) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization
16	16	exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal
17	17	Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section
18	18	501(c)(3) of that code.
19	19	SECTION 2. Section 136.005(a), Education Code, is amended
20	20	to read as follows:
21	21	(a) The coordinating board [grant administrator] shall
22	22	establish and administer the Texas Innovative Adult Career
23	23	Education (ACE) Grant Program to provide grants to:
24	24	(1) eligible nonprofit workforce intermediary and job
25	25	training organizations; and
26	26	(2) eligible nonprofit organizations providing job
27	27	training to veterans.
28	28	SECTION 3. Section 136.006, Education Code, is amended to
29	29	read as follows:
30	30	Sec. 136.006. ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS. (a) To be eligible
31	31	for a grant under the program, a nonprofit workforce intermediary
32	32	and job training organization must:
33	33	(1) apply to the coordinating board [grant
34	34	administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
35	35	[grant administrator];
36	36	(2) provide to eligible low-income students, in
37	37	partnership with public junior colleges, public state colleges, or
38	38	public technical institutes:
39	39	(A) job training; and
40	40	(B) a continuum of services designed to move a
41	41	program participant from application to employment, including
42	42	outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
43	43	career placement;
44	44	(3) be governed by a board or other governing
45	45	structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
46	46	community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
47	47	members of the local business community;
48	48	(4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
49	49	coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
50	50	organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
51	51	measures of success among program participants:
52	52	(A) above-average completion of developmental
53	53	education among participating public junior college, public state
54	54	college, or public technical institute students;
55	55	(B) above-average persistence rates among
56	56	participating public junior college, public state college, or
57	57	public technical institute students;
58	58	(C) above-average certificate or degree
59	59	completion rates by participating students within a three-year
60	60	period compared to demographically comparable public junior
61	61	college, public state college, and public technical institute
62	62	students; and
63	63	(D) entry into careers with significantly higher
64	64	earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
65	65	(5) provide matching funds in accordance with rules
66	66	adopted under this chapter.
67	67	(a-1) To be eligible for a grant under the program, a
68	68	nonprofit organization providing job training services to veterans
69	69	must:
70	70	(1) apply to the coordinating board [grant
71	71	administrator] in the manner prescribed by the coordinating board
72	72	[grant administrator];
73	73	(2) provide to veterans, in partnership with public
74	74	junior colleges, public state colleges, or public technical
75	75	institutes:
76	76	(A) job training; and
77	77	(B) a continuum of services designed to move a
78	78	program participant from application to employment, including
79	79	outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and
80	80	career placement;
81	81	(3) be governed by a board or other governing
82	82	structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based
83	83	community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level
84	84	members of the local business community;
85	85	(4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the
86	86	coordinating board [program advisory board] that the
87	87	organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following
88	88	measures of success among program participants:
89	89	(A) the measures prescribed by Subsections
90	90	(a)(4)(A)-(C);
91	91	(B) rapid attainment of civilian workforce
92	92	credentials; and
93	93	(C) entry into careers with significantly higher
94	94	earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and
95	95	(5) provide matching funds in accordance with rules
96	96	adopted under this chapter.
97	97	(b) The matching funds required under Subsection (a)(5) or
98	98	(a-1)(5) may be obtained from any source available to the
99	99	organization, including in-kind contributions, community or
100	100	foundation grants, individual contributions, and local
101	101	governmental agency operating funds. The coordinating board [grant
102	102	administrator] may adopt rules requiring an organization to
103	103	demonstrate compliance with the matching funds requirement before
104	104	the payment of the next installment under an awarded grant.
105	105	SECTION 4. Section 136.007, Education Code, is amended to
106	106	read as follows:
107	107	Sec. 136.007. RULES. [(a)] The coordinating board [grant
108	108	administrator] shall adopt rules as necessary for the
109	109	administration of this chapter, including [in the manner provided
110	110	by Chapter 2001, Government Code, for a state agency.
111	111	[(b) The grant administrator, with recommendations of the
112	112	program advisory board, shall adopt] rules regarding eligibility,
113	113	program tuition and fees, administrative costs, matching funds, and
114	114	case management and other supports for the program. The rules may
115	115	include provisions for the payment in periodic installments of
116	116	grant awards.
117	117	SECTION 5. The following provisions of Chapter 136,
118	118	Education Code, are repealed:
119	119	(1) Sections 136.002 and 136.004; and
120	120	(2) Section 136.005(a-1).
121	121	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.