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.
Sponsorship: 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. | ||
