| 1 | 1 | | 89R1770 AMF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Guillen H.B. No. 2689 |
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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 an intensive workforce readiness |
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| 10 | 10 | | adult education pilot 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. Section 12.255, Education Code, is amended by |
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| 13 | 13 | | amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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| 14 | 14 | | follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (c) Subject to Subsections [Subsection] (d) and (e), the |
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| 16 | 16 | | commissioner may not grant more than 10 charters under this |
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| 17 | 17 | | subchapter. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (c) or any other law and in |
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| 19 | 19 | | addition to the number of charters allowed under this section and |
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| 20 | 20 | | Subchapter D, the commissioner shall, on the basis of an |
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| 21 | 21 | | application submitted, grant a charter to an eligible entity to |
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| 22 | 22 | | provide an intensive workforce readiness adult education program |
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| 23 | 23 | | under the pilot program established under Section 12.266. |
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| 24 | 24 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 12, Education Code, is |
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| 25 | 25 | | amended by adding Section 12.266 to read as follows: |
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| 26 | 26 | | Sec. 12.266. INTENSIVE WORKFORCE READINESS PILOT PROGRAM. |
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| 27 | 27 | | (a) The agency shall establish a pilot program under which one or |
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| 28 | 28 | | more eligible entities provides an intensive workforce readiness |
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| 29 | 29 | | adult education program to enable an individual described by |
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| 30 | 30 | | Section 12.258 to successfully complete: |
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| 31 | 31 | | (1) a program that leads to a high school diploma or a |
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| 32 | 32 | | high school equivalency certificate; and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (2) career and technology courses leading to: |
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| 34 | 34 | | (A) at least one industry certification or |
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| 35 | 35 | | license; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | (B) at least one certification or license in an |
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| 37 | 37 | | occupation identified by the local workforce development board as a |
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| 38 | 38 | | high demand occupation in the area. |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) The agency shall request applications from eligible |
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| 40 | 40 | | entities to provide an adult education program under the pilot |
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| 41 | 41 | | program. The agency shall require each applicant to identify: |
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| 42 | 42 | | (1) the local workforce development board serving the |
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| 43 | 43 | | area in which the applicant intends to operate an adult education |
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| 44 | 44 | | program under the pilot program and the high demand occupations in |
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| 45 | 45 | | that area as identified by the board; and |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) each industry certification or license an |
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| 47 | 47 | | individual who successfully completes the program is eligible to |
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| 48 | 48 | | receive. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. Not later than September 1, 2026, the Texas |
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| 50 | 50 | | Education Agency shall establish and implement the pilot program |
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| 51 | 51 | | required by Section 12.266, Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 53 | 53 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 54 | 54 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 55 | 55 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 56 | 56 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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