| 1 | 1 | | By: Sparks S.B. No. 2448 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to rural workforce development. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 302.021 to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 302.021. RURAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. (a) The purpose |
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| 13 | 13 | | of this section is to enhance the employability, earnings, and |
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| 14 | 14 | | standard of living of the people living in rural communities of this |
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| 15 | 15 | | state, through job creation and expansion, education, and skills |
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| 16 | 16 | | training. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) The commission, in consultation with the Texas |
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| 18 | 18 | | Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, |
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| 19 | 19 | | shall administer a rural workforce development program to support |
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| 20 | 20 | | measurable programs advancing college and career readiness, skill |
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| 21 | 21 | | development, and work experience opportunities, including: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) recruiting and retaining businesses for |
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| 23 | 23 | | high-wage, high-demand careers aligned to the commission's |
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| 24 | 24 | | regional labor market information under Section 302.002 and the |
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| 25 | 25 | | occupational shortage areas reported under Section 302.019; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) working with one or more institutions of higher |
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| 27 | 27 | | education, as defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, to support |
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| 28 | 28 | | attainment of the coordinating board's long-range master plan for |
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| 29 | 29 | | higher education developed under Section 61.051, Education Code, |
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| 30 | 30 | | and to ensure students cost-effectively attain degrees and |
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| 31 | 31 | | postsecondary credentials of value; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) working with participating rural school districts |
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| 33 | 33 | | to attain or maintain the highest or second highest performance |
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| 34 | 34 | | rating category under Chapter 39, Education Code. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (c) The commission may award grants to local entities that |
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| 36 | 36 | | perform activities related to the purposes of this section. |
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| 37 | 37 | | (d) The commission may award grants for technical |
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| 38 | 38 | | assistance to one or more nonprofit organizations with experience |
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| 39 | 39 | | in improving outcomes, including students' college and career |
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| 40 | 40 | | outcomes, in rural communities in this state. The nonprofit |
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| 41 | 41 | | organization shall assist a rural community's alignment of |
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| 42 | 42 | | workforce, higher education, and education goals, including access |
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| 43 | 43 | | and attainment of postsecondary credentials and degrees. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (e) The commission may accept gifts, grants, and donations |
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| 45 | 45 | | from any public or private source for the purposes of the program |
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| 46 | 46 | | and shall administer the program using money appropriated to the |
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| 47 | 47 | | commission or money received from other sources. |
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| 48 | 48 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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