| 1 | 1 | | 89R9018 KSD-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Gerdes H.B. No. 2545 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of the Rural Workforce Training Grant |
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| 10 | 10 | | Program. |
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| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is |
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| 13 | 13 | | amended by adding Section 302.0039 to read as follows: |
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| 14 | 14 | | Sec. 302.0039. RURAL WORKFORCE TRAINING GRANT PROGRAM. (a) |
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| 15 | 15 | | In this section, "program" means the Rural Workforce Training Grant |
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| 16 | 16 | | Program established under this section. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The commission shall establish and administer the Rural |
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| 18 | 18 | | Workforce Training Grant Program for the purpose of providing |
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| 19 | 19 | | targeted funding for job-specific workforce training and related |
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| 20 | 20 | | services to strengthen the skills, resources, and career |
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| 21 | 21 | | opportunities of the rural workforce in this state. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (c) Under the program, the commission shall award grants to |
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| 23 | 23 | | public, private, or nonprofit entities, including business |
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| 24 | 24 | | associations, political subdivisions, local workforce development |
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| 25 | 25 | | boards, and educational institutions, that: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (1) provide on-the-job training, apprenticeships, |
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| 27 | 27 | | workforce education courses, and other job-specific workforce |
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| 28 | 28 | | development activities in a county with a population of less than |
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| 29 | 29 | | 200,000; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (2) apply to the commission in the manner provided by |
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| 31 | 31 | | commission rule. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (d) Grant money awarded to an entity under the program may |
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| 33 | 33 | | be used only to cover costs associated with training materials, |
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| 34 | 34 | | instructors' fees, participant wraparound expenses, facility fees, |
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| 35 | 35 | | administrative costs, and outreach, mentoring, and recruiting |
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| 36 | 36 | | costs for the training, apprenticeship, course, or other activity |
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| 37 | 37 | | for which the money is awarded. |
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| 38 | 38 | | (e) The commission shall require a grant recipient to |
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| 39 | 39 | | provide periodic reports regarding the recipient's use of grant |
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| 40 | 40 | | money received under the program and related training participant |
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| 41 | 41 | | outcomes. |
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| 42 | 42 | | (f) The commission may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and |
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| 43 | 43 | | donations from any public or private source for purposes of the |
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| 44 | 44 | | program. |
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| 45 | 45 | | (g) The commission shall adopt rules for the administration |
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| 46 | 46 | | of the program. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the commission |
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| 48 | 48 | | shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker |
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| 49 | 49 | | of the house of representatives, and the standing committee of each |
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| 50 | 50 | | house of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over workforce |
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| 51 | 51 | | development matters a report regarding: |
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| 52 | 52 | | (1) the grants awarded under the program during the |
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| 53 | 53 | | most recent state fiscal year; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (2) the program's effectiveness. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt the |
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| 56 | 56 | | rules required under Section 302.0039(g), Labor Code, as added by |
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| 57 | 57 | | this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this |
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| 58 | 58 | | Act. |
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| 59 | 59 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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