Bill Text: TX HB5146 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures Program to support educational and occupational skills training opportunities and support services for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2023-05-18 - Reported from s/c with no recommendation [HB5146 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HB5146-Engrossed.html
By: Raney, González of El Paso | H.B. No. 5146 |
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relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures | ||
Program to support educational and occupational skills training | ||
opportunities and support services for students with intellectual | ||
and developmental disabilities. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter J-1 to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER J-1. BUILDING BETTER FUTURES PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 61.551. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Building | ||
Better Futures Program is to facilitate the delivery by | ||
institutions of higher education and private or independent | ||
institutions of higher education of educational and occupational | ||
skills training opportunities and support services to students with | ||
intellectual and developmental disabilities in an inclusive and | ||
age-appropriate environment. | ||
Sec. 61.552. ADMINISTRATION; RULES. (a) The board shall | ||
administer the Building Better Futures Program and adopt any rules | ||
necessary to implement the program or this subchapter. | ||
(b) The board may develop a competitive application process | ||
for the award of funds to eligible institutions under the program. | ||
(c) A program or course offered under the Building Better | ||
Futures Program is exempt from the requirements of Sections 61.0512 | ||
and 61.822. | ||
Sec. 61.553. INSTITUTION ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible | ||
to participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an | ||
institution of higher education or private or independent | ||
institution of higher education: | ||
(1) must: | ||
(A) be approved by or awaiting approval from the | ||
United States Department of Education to offer a comprehensive | ||
transition and postsecondary program for students with | ||
intellectual or developmental disabilities; | ||
(B) develop and implement a selective admissions | ||
process to select eligible students under Section 61.554 for | ||
admission to the institution's comprehensive transition and | ||
postsecondary program; and | ||
(C) award a certificate to each student who | ||
successfully completes the Building Better Futures Program at the | ||
institution; and | ||
(2) may not allow credit hours completed under the | ||
Building Better Futures Program to be transferred toward an | ||
associate or baccalaureate degree program. | ||
(b) The board shall establish criteria to ensure that each | ||
eligible institution that has requested but not yet received | ||
approval from the United States Department of Education for the | ||
institution's comprehensive transition and postsecondary program | ||
obtains that approval not later than the third anniversary of the | ||
date the institution is initially selected by the board for | ||
participation in the Building Better Futures Program. | ||
Sec. 61.554. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to | ||
participate in the Building Better Futures Program, an applicant | ||
must: | ||
(1) apply for admission to a comprehensive transition | ||
and postsecondary program, or a program that is awaiting approval | ||
from the United States Department of Education as a comprehensive | ||
transition and postsecondary program, at an eligible institution; | ||
(2) be a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the | ||
United States; | ||
(3) be a resident of this state under Section 54.052, | ||
except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section; | ||
(4) have an intellectual or developmental disability | ||
diagnosed by a physician, psychologist, or other individual | ||
qualified by license or statute to make such a diagnosis; | ||
(5) be able and willing to learn and participate in an | ||
inclusive classroom and work setting; and | ||
(6) not be a danger to the applicant's self or others, | ||
as determined by the accepting institution. | ||
(b) An applicant who is a lawful permanent resident of the | ||
United States must submit with the applicant's application a copy | ||
of the applicant's lawful permanent resident form. | ||
(c) An eligible institution may require an applicant or the | ||
applicant's parent or guardian to provide proof of residency as | ||
evidenced by one of the following: | ||
(1) information from the Free Application for Federal | ||
Student Aid; | ||
(2) a driver's license issued by the Department of | ||
Public Safety that has not expired; | ||
(3) documentation of payment for personal or real | ||
property taxes for the previous year; | ||
(4) vehicle registration issued by the Texas | ||
Department of Motor Vehicles that has not expired; | ||
(5) a voter registration certificate issued in this | ||
state that has not expired; or | ||
(6) documentation under Section 54.053. | ||
(d) An applicant who is not a resident of this state may be | ||
eligible to participate in the Building Better Futures Program at | ||
an eligible institution only if an opening is available after all | ||
resident applicants are admitted. | ||
Sec. 61.555. AWARD OF FUNDS. The board may award funds | ||
under the Building Better Futures Program only to eligible | ||
institutions to be used by the institutions to facilitate the | ||
delivery of educational and occupational skills training | ||
opportunities and support services to students participating in the | ||
program. | ||
Sec. 61.556. FUNDING. The board may use any available | ||
revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and | ||
accept gifts, grants, and donations from a public or private source | ||
for the purposes of this subchapter. | ||
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter J-1, Chapter 61, | ||
Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
the effective date of this Act. | ||
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, 2023. |