Bill Text: TX HB1755 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-4)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-27 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB1755 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1755-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-4)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-27 - Effective on 9/1/23 [HB1755 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB1755-Engrossed.html
88R22010 KSD-D | ||
By: Button, Hunter, Ordaz, Burrows, Longoria, | H.B. No. 1755 | |
et al. |
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relating to the creation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future | ||
Fund. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle G, Title 3, Education Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 134A to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 134A. LONE STAR WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE FUND | ||
Sec. 134A.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce | ||
Commission. | ||
(2) "Public junior college" and "public technical | ||
institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
Sec. 134A.002. PURPOSE. The purpose of this chapter is to: | ||
(1) create and sustain a utilization-driven supply of | ||
qualified workers for entry-level to mid-level jobs in high demand | ||
occupations in this state; | ||
(2) address and close the gap between the skills | ||
needed by workers and the current skills of the available workforce | ||
in this state; | ||
(3) increase the interest of current and future Texans | ||
to fill the available and emerging jobs in this state that require | ||
less education than a bachelor's degree but more than a high school | ||
diploma; and | ||
(4) strengthen the state's economy by increasing the | ||
competitiveness of businesses in this state and the recruitment of | ||
businesses to this state. | ||
Sec. 134A.003. LONE STAR WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE FUND. (a) | ||
The commission shall establish and administer the Lone Star | ||
Workforce of the Future Fund as a dedicated account in the general | ||
revenue fund. | ||
(b) The following amounts shall be deposited in the fund: | ||
(1) any money appropriated by the legislature for the | ||
fund for purposes of this chapter; | ||
(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the | ||
fund; and | ||
(3) gifts, grants, and donations received for the | ||
fund. | ||
Sec. 134A.004. ADVISORY BOARD. (a) An advisory board of | ||
education and workforce stakeholders is created to assist the | ||
commission in administering this chapter. | ||
(b) The advisory board is composed of six members who serve | ||
two-year terms and are appointed as follows: | ||
(1) one member appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one member appointed by the lieutenant governor; | ||
(3) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of | ||
representatives; | ||
(4) one member appointed by the Texas Higher Education | ||
Coordinating Board; | ||
(5) one member appointed by the commission; and | ||
(6) the chair of the commission, who serves as the | ||
presiding officer. | ||
(c) The advisory board shall meet at least twice each | ||
calendar year, or as needed, to make recommendations on awarding | ||
grants under this chapter. | ||
Sec. 134A.005. FUND USE. Money in the Lone Star Workforce | ||
of the Future Fund may be used by the commission only to: | ||
(1) award grants as provided by this chapter; and | ||
(2) conduct, with a consortium of corporate partners | ||
identified by the commission as having available entry-level | ||
workforce demand, due diligence assessment reviews of entities | ||
receiving grants under this chapter. | ||
Sec. 134A.006. LONE STAR WORKFORCE OF THE FUTURE FUND GRANT | ||
PROGRAM. The commission shall establish and administer the Lone | ||
Star Workforce of the Future Fund grant program to provide grants to | ||
public junior colleges, public technical institutes, and nonprofit | ||
organizations that apply to the commission in the manner prescribed | ||
by the commission and satisfy the eligibility criteria prescribed | ||
by Section 134A.007. The commission shall award the grants on the | ||
advice and recommendations of the advisory board. | ||
Sec. 134A.007. GRANT ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to | ||
receive a grant under this chapter, a public junior college, public | ||
technical institute, or nonprofit organization must: | ||
(1) administer one or more performance-based | ||
workforce training programs that: | ||
(A) lead to skill development and experiences | ||
required for employment in high demand occupations in at least one | ||
career field identified and listed as a high-growth career field | ||
by: | ||
(i) the commission; | ||
(ii) the Texas Workforce Investment | ||
Council; or | ||
(iii) the Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative | ||
established under Chapter 2308A, Government Code; | ||
(B) are developed and provided based on | ||
consultation with and input from employers who are hiring in high | ||
demand occupations; | ||
(C) create pathways to employment for program | ||
participants; and | ||
(D) are delivered through classroom-based or | ||
online instruction, work-based experiences internships, or | ||
apprenticeships, or through a combination of those methods; | ||
(2) demonstrate through third-party validated data | ||
successful outcomes in: | ||
(A) recruiting local unemployed and | ||
underemployed individuals to participate in the training program or | ||
programs; | ||
(B) training individuals with the skills needed | ||
to secure full-time employment paying at least a self-sufficient | ||
wage as determined under Section 2308A.012, Government Code, in the | ||
relevant job field; and | ||
(C) placing individuals in employment in high | ||
demand occupations; | ||
(3) demonstrate the ability to attract at least 40 | ||
percent of the necessary funding for training program operation | ||
from revenue streams other than state government funding; and | ||
(4) agree to: | ||
(A) collaborate with the commission, corporate | ||
partners, and nonprofit educational partners to determine the | ||
training programs to be provided using grant money; | ||
(B) secure support from local businesses to | ||
ensure alignment between training program offerings and in-demand | ||
skills; | ||
(C) collaborate with regional employers, public | ||
junior colleges, public technical institutes, or nonprofit | ||
organizations to make available developmental work-based | ||
experiences to further enhance training program participants' | ||
career readiness; | ||
(D) engage local entities and organizations, | ||
including local workforce development boards and community-based | ||
organizations, to assist with identifying and recruiting eligible | ||
training program participants; | ||
(E) provide documentation to the commission | ||
describing training program offerings, including information | ||
necessary to verify that the offerings will: | ||
(i) provide training that is not exclusive | ||
to a single corporate partner; and | ||
(ii) lead to knowledge, skills, and | ||
work-based experiences that are transferable to similar employment | ||
opportunities in high demand occupations offered by other | ||
employers; and | ||
(F) comply with any additional grant conditions | ||
prescribed by commission rule, including performance benchmarks | ||
established under Section 134A.008 and reporting requirements | ||
established under Section 134A.009. | ||
Sec. 134A.008. PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS. (a) The commission | ||
by rule shall establish performance benchmarks for entities | ||
receiving grants under this chapter. The benchmarks must include a | ||
requirement that an entity facilitate the successful transition of | ||
at least 50 percent of the entity's training program participants | ||
from low wage work or unemployment to full-time jobs offering a | ||
self-sufficient wage as determined under Section 2308A.012, | ||
Government Code, and the opportunity for career mobility, as | ||
determined by the commission, within six months of training program | ||
completion. | ||
(b) The commission by rule shall require reimbursement on a | ||
pro rata basis by an entity that does not meet a performance | ||
benchmark required by this section. | ||
(c) An entity is not required to comply with a performance | ||
benchmark required by this section if the entity's compliance is | ||
not possible because of an act of God, force majeure, or a similar | ||
cause not reasonably within the entity's control. | ||
Sec. 134A.009. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. The commission by | ||
rule shall require each entity receiving a grant under this chapter | ||
to submit progress reports to the commission at least twice | ||
annually. Each progress report must include the following | ||
information relating to a training program funded by the grant: | ||
(1) the number of participants; | ||
(2) an update on progress toward performance | ||
benchmarks; | ||
(3) a description of any key accomplishments achieved, | ||
lessons learned, or setbacks or risks incurred by the entity in | ||
administering the training program; | ||
(4) an explanation of any material changes to the | ||
training program's work plan, team, or budget; and | ||
(5) the amount of grant money spent by the entity | ||
during the reporting period. | ||
Sec. 134A.010. GRANT AMOUNT. The amount of a grant awarded | ||
to an entity under this chapter for a training program may not | ||
exceed $15,000 per training program participant. | ||
Sec. 134A.011. GRANT USE. An entity may use grant money | ||
received under this chapter only for: | ||
(1) curriculum development; | ||
(2) instructor fees and certifications; | ||
(3) training materials; | ||
(4) work-related expenses; | ||
(5) work-based experience stipends; | ||
(6) related wraparound services important to help | ||
ensure success for training program participants as determined by | ||
commission rule; and | ||
(7) administrative costs as determined by commission | ||
rule, except that the amount used by an entity for that purpose may | ||
not exceed 10 percent of the total amount of grant money received by | ||
the entity. | ||
Sec. 134A.012. RULES. The commission shall adopt rules as | ||
necessary to administer this chapter. | ||
SECTION 2. The Texas Workforce Commission shall adopt rules | ||
for the administration of Chapter 134A, Education Code, as added by | ||
this Act, as soon as practicable following the effective date of | ||
this Act but not later than December 1, 2023. | ||
SECTION 3. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this | ||
Act, in a state fiscal year, the Texas Workforce Commission is not | ||
required to implement a provision found in another provision of | ||
this Act that is a mandatory provision imposing a duty on the | ||
commission to take an action unless money is specifically | ||
appropriated to the commission for that fiscal year to carry out | ||
that duty. The Texas Workforce Commission may implement the | ||
provision in that fiscal year to the extent other funding is | ||
available to the commission to do so. | ||
(b) If, as authorized by Subsection (a) of this section, the | ||
Texas Workforce Commission does not implement a mandatory provision | ||
in a state fiscal year, the commission, in its legislative | ||
appropriations request for the next state fiscal biennium, shall | ||
certify that fact to the Legislative Budget Board and include a | ||
written estimate of the cost of implementing the provision in each | ||
year of that next state fiscal biennium. | ||
(c) This section expires and any duty suspended by | ||
Subsection (a) of this section becomes mandatory on September 1, | ||
2027. | ||
SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |