Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2917 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	89R2328 JTZ-F
2	2	By: González of El Paso H.B. No. 2917
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7	7	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	8	AN ACT
9	9	relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures
10	10	Program to support educational and occupational skills training
11	11	opportunities and support services for students with intellectual
12	12	and developmental disabilities at public and private institutions
13	13	of higher education.
14	14	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
15	15	SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
16	16	Subchapter J-2 to read as follows:
17	17	SUBCHAPTER J-2. BUILDING BETTER FUTURES PROGRAM
18	18	Sec. 61.571. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Building
19	19	Better Futures Program is to facilitate the delivery by
20	20	institutions of higher education and private or independent
21	21	institutions of higher education of educational and occupational
22	22	skills training opportunities and support services to students with
23	23	intellectual and developmental disabilities in an inclusive and
24	24	age-appropriate environment.
25	25	Sec. 61.572. ADMINISTRATION; RULES. (a) The board shall
26	26	administer the Building Better Futures Program and adopt any rules
27	27	necessary to implement the program or this subchapter.
28	28	(b) The board may develop a competitive application process
29	29	for the award of funds to eligible institutions under the program.
30	30	(c) A program or course offered under the Building Better
31	31	Futures Program is exempt from the requirements of Sections 61.0512
32	32	and 61.822.
33	33	Sec. 61.573. INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible
34	34	to participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an
35	35	institution of higher education or private or independent
36	36	institution of higher education must:
37	37	(1) be approved by or awaiting approval from the
38	38	United States Department of Education to offer a comprehensive
39	39	transition and postsecondary program for students with
40	40	intellectual or developmental disabilities;
41	41	(2) develop and implement a selective admissions
42	42	process to select eligible students under Section 61.574 for
43	43	admission to the institution's comprehensive transition and
44	44	postsecondary program; and
45	45	(3) award a certificate to each student who
46	46	successfully completes the Building Better Futures Program at the
47	47	institution.
48	48	(b) The board shall establish criteria to ensure that each
49	49	eligible institution that has requested but not yet received
50	50	approval from the United States Department of Education for the
51	51	institution's comprehensive transition and postsecondary program
52	52	obtains that approval not later than the third anniversary of the
53	53	date the institution is initially selected by the board for
54	54	participation in the Building Better Futures Program.
55	55	Sec. 61.574. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to
56	56	participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an applicant
57	57	must:
58	58	(1) apply for admission to a comprehensive transition
59	59	and postsecondary program, or a program that is awaiting approval
60	60	from the United States Department of Education as a comprehensive
61	61	transition and postsecondary program, at an eligible institution;
62	62	(2) be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the
63	63	United States;
64	64	(3) subject to Subsection (d), be a resident of this
65	65	state as determined under Section 54.052;
66	66	(4) have an intellectual or developmental disability
67	67	diagnosed by a physician, psychologist, or other individual
68	68	qualified by license or statute to make the diagnosis;
69	69	(5) be able and willing to learn and participate in an
70	70	inclusive classroom and work setting; and
71	71	(6) not be a danger to the applicant's self or others,
72	72	as determined by the accepting institution.
73	73	(b) An applicant who is a lawful permanent resident of the
74	74	United States must submit with the applicant's application a copy
75	75	of the applicant's lawful permanent resident form.
76	76	(c) An eligible institution may require an applicant or the
77	77	applicant's parent or guardian to provide proof of residency as
78	78	follows:
79	79	(1) information from the Free Application for Federal
80	80	Student Aid;
81	81	(2) a current driver's license issued by the
82	82	Department of Public Safety;
83	83	(3) documentation of payment of personal or real
84	84	property taxes for the previous year;
85	85	(4) current vehicle registration issued by the Texas
86	86	Department of Motor Vehicles;
87	87	(5) a current voter registration certificate issued by
88	88	a voter registrar of a county in this state; or
89	89	(6) documentation described by Section 54.053.
90	90	(d) An applicant who is not a resident of this state may
91	91	participate in the Building Better Futures Program at an eligible
92	92	institution only if the applicant is otherwise eligible under this
93	93	section and the institution has an opening available in the program
94	94	after all other eligible applicants are admitted.
95	95	Sec. 61.575. TRANSFERABILITY. Semester credit hours or the
96	96	equivalent completed through the Building Better Futures Program
97	97	may not be transferred to an associate or baccalaureate degree
98	98	program.
99	99	Sec. 61.576. AWARD OF MONEY. The board may award money
100	100	under the Building Better Futures Program only to eligible
101	101	institutions to be used by the institutions to facilitate the
102	102	delivery of educational and occupational skills training
103	103	opportunities and support services to students participating in the
104	104	program.
105	105	Sec. 61.577. FUNDING. The board may use any available
106	106	revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and
107	107	accept gifts, grants, and donations from a public or private source
108	108	for the purposes of this subchapter.
109	109	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
110	110	shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter J-2, Chapter 61,
111	111	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
112	112	the effective date of this Act.
113	113	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
114	114	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
115	115	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
116	116	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
117	117	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.