| 1 | 1 | | 89R6304 RAL-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Bell of Kaufman H.B. No. 3920 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to the recognition of career and technology education |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | programs by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Occupations Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | adding Subchapter K to read as follows: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | SUBCHAPTER K. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 51.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (1) "Career and technology education program" means: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (A) a career and technology education program |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | under Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code; or |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (B) a program determined by the department to be |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | similar to that described by Paragraph (A) and offered by: |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (i) an institution of higher education; or |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (ii) a private school, as defined by |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | Section 5.001, Education Code. |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (2) "Institution of higher education" means an |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | institution of higher education or a private or independent |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | Section 61.003, Education Code. |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | Sec. 51.552. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAM |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | RECOGNITION. The commission shall adopt rules providing for the |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | recognition of career and technology education programs for |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | programs regulated by the department. The rules must: |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (1) specify how completion of a career and technology |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | education program will be credited toward licensing for the |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | applicable program; |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (2) establish who is eligible to provide instruction |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | in a career and technology education program for purposes of this |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | section; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (3) establish standards for the essential knowledge |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | and skills of a career and technology education program, subject to |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | the approval of the State Board of Education if the courses are to |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | be offered in a high school, that include: |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (A) requiring the program to consist of an |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | appropriate number of hours of classroom instruction and a |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | practical component; |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (B) providing for crediting appropriate |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | on-the-job training toward meeting the requirements of the |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | practical component; and |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | (C) prohibiting a career and technology |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | education program offered by an institution of higher education |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | from being more stringent than a program offered by a public high |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | school. |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | SECTION 2. In developing the initial standards for a career |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | and technology education program under Section 51.552, Occupations |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | Code, as added by this Act, the Texas Commission of Licensing and |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | Regulation shall consult with the Texas State Technical College and |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | relevant interest groups. |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|