Bill Text: TX HB3003 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce education at two-year public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 5-3)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-28 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB3003 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-HB3003-Comm_Sub.html
87R17175 CXP-F | |||
By: Parker, Murphy, Raney, Hunter, et al. | H.B. No. 3003 | ||
Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3003: | |||
By: Frullo | C.S.H.B. No. 3003 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and | ||
Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce | ||
education at two-year public institutions of higher education. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter T-2 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER T-2. TEXAS RESKILLING AND UPSKILLING THROUGH EDUCATION | ||
(TRUE) PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 61.881. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Eligible institution" means a public junior | ||
college or public state college. | ||
(2) "Program" means the Texas Reskilling and | ||
Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program established under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
Sec. 61.882. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION; PURPOSE. (a) | ||
The Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) | ||
Program is established to strengthen the Texas workforce and build | ||
a stronger Texas economy. | ||
(b) The board shall administer the program in accordance | ||
with this subchapter and rules adopted under this subchapter. | ||
(c) Under the program, using funds appropriated or | ||
otherwise available for the purpose, the board shall award grants | ||
to eligible institutions or consortiums of eligible institutions | ||
for creating, redesigning, or expanding workforce training | ||
programs and delivering education and workforce training that lead | ||
to postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce | ||
credentials required for high-demand occupations. | ||
(d) In awarding grants under this subchapter, the board: | ||
(1) shall, to the greatest extent practicable, award | ||
grants to at least one eligible institution in each region of the | ||
state; and | ||
(2) may give preference to applicants that: | ||
(A) represent a consortium of eligible | ||
institutions; or | ||
(B) prioritize training to displaced workers. | ||
Sec. 61.883. USE OF GRANT. (a) A grant awarded to an | ||
eligible institution or a consortium of eligible institutions under | ||
this subchapter may be used only for the support and maintenance of | ||
educational and general activities that promote workforce learning | ||
at the institution or a member institution, as applicable, | ||
including: | ||
(1) providing training in existing, new, or redesigned | ||
accelerated programs that teach high-demand skills and lead to | ||
postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce | ||
credentials valued in growing occupations; | ||
(2) developing new industry-aligned, high-demand | ||
postsecondary industry certifications or other workforce | ||
credentials and certificate programs or other courses of | ||
instruction leading to those certifications or credentials that can | ||
be completed in six months or less; | ||
(3) redesigning existing postsecondary industry | ||
certifications or credentials and certificate programs or other | ||
courses of instruction leading to those certifications or | ||
credentials to meet the standards under Subdivision (2); and | ||
(4) expanding institutional capacity to provide | ||
high-demand postsecondary industry certifications or other | ||
workforce credentials that are stackable in high-demand career | ||
pathways and address the needs of high-demand occupations | ||
identified by the Texas Workforce Commission or applicable local | ||
workforce development boards. | ||
(b) Money received by an eligible institution or a | ||
consortium of eligible institutions under the program in a fiscal | ||
year that is not used by the institution or a member institution, as | ||
applicable, in that fiscal year may be held and used by the | ||
institution or consortium in subsequent fiscal years for the | ||
purposes prescribed in this section. | ||
Sec. 61.884. RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS OR CREDENTIALS. (a) | ||
The board, in collaboration with eligible institutions, the Texas | ||
Workforce Commission, and private employers, shall identify | ||
existing and develop new postsecondary industry certifications or | ||
other workforce credentials valued in high-demand occupations. | ||
(b) The board, in consultation with eligible institutions, | ||
shall: | ||
(1) identify postsecondary industry certifications or | ||
other workforce credentials developed or redesigned using grant | ||
funds under the program; and | ||
(2) establish methods for collecting and reporting | ||
data related to the certifications or credentials identified under | ||
Subdivision (1). | ||
(c) An eligible institution or a consortium of eligible | ||
institutions awarded a grant under this subchapter may recommend | ||
outcomes related to the achievement or development of postsecondary | ||
industry certifications or other workforce credentials identified | ||
under this section to be considered by the board for inclusion in | ||
the state's long-range master plan for higher education developed | ||
under Section 61.051. | ||
(d) In devising its funding formulas and making its | ||
recommendations to the legislature relating to institutional | ||
appropriations of funds for eligible institutions under Section | ||
61.059, the board shall incorporate the consideration of the | ||
achievement or development of postsecondary industry | ||
certifications and other workforce credentials identified under | ||
this section. | ||
Sec. 61.885. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. The board may | ||
solicit, accept, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from any | ||
public or private source for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 61.886. RULES. The board shall adopt rules for the | ||
administration of this subchapter, including rules requiring | ||
eligible institutions awarded a grant under this subchapter to | ||
report necessary information to the board. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T-2, Chapter 61, | ||
Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
the effective date of this Act. | ||
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall | ||
award grants under Subchapter T-2, Chapter 61, Education Code, as | ||
added by this Act, beginning with the 2021 fall semester. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |