Bill Text: TX SB1102 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Comm Sub
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce education.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-14 - Effective immediately [SB1102 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1102-Comm_Sub.html
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce education.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-2)
Status: (Passed) 2021-06-14 - Effective immediately [SB1102 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1102-Comm_Sub.html
By: Creighton, et al. | S.B. No. 1102 | |
(Parker) | ||
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Reskilling and | ||
Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program to support workforce | ||
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 entity" means: | ||
(A) a public junior college or public technical | ||
institute; | ||
(B) a consortium of public junior colleges or | ||
public technical institutes; or | ||
(C) a local chamber of commerce, trade | ||
association, or economic development corporation that partners | ||
with a public junior college or public technical institute or a | ||
consortium of public junior colleges or public technical | ||
institutes. | ||
(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 entities for creating, redesigning, or expanding | ||
workforce training programs and delivering education and workforce | ||
training that: | ||
(1) lead to postsecondary industry certifications or | ||
other workforce credentials required for high-demand occupations; | ||
(2) are developed and provided in consultation with | ||
employers who are hiring in high-demand occupations; and | ||
(3) create pathways to employment for students and | ||
learners. | ||
(d) In awarding grants under this subchapter, the board: | ||
(1) shall, to the greatest extent practicable: | ||
(A) award grants to at least one eligible entity | ||
in each region of the state; and | ||
(B) ensure that each training program: | ||
(i) matches regional workforce needs; | ||
(ii) is supported by a labor market | ||
analysis of job postings and employers hiring roles with the skills | ||
developed by the program; and | ||
(iii) does not duplicate existing program | ||
offerings within the region; and | ||
(2) may give preference to applicants that: | ||
(A) represent a consortium of public junior | ||
colleges and public technical institutes; | ||
(B) prioritize training to displaced workers; | ||
(C) offer affordable training programs to | ||
students; or | ||
(D) partner with local chambers of commerce, | ||
trade associations, economic development corporations, and local | ||
workforce boards to analyze job postings and identify employers | ||
hiring roles with the skills developed by the training programs. | ||
Sec. 61.883. USE OF GRANT. (a) A grant awarded to an | ||
eligible entity under this subchapter may be used only for the | ||
support and maintenance of educational and general activities that | ||
promote workforce learning, 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); | ||
(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; | ||
(5) providing student aid awards to incentivize | ||
enrollment in and completion of 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; and | ||
(6) tracking and reporting enrollment, credential | ||
completion, and employment outcomes for students in courses and | ||
programs described by this subsection to gauge the impact on | ||
student success. | ||
(b) Money received by an eligible entity under the program | ||
in a fiscal year that is not used by the entity in that fiscal year | ||
may be held and used by the entity in the subsequent fiscal year for | ||
the purposes prescribed in this section if the entity provides to | ||
the board a reasonable explanation for holding and using the money | ||
in the subsequent fiscal year. | ||
Sec. 61.884. RECOGNIZED CERTIFICATIONS OR CREDENTIALS. (a) | ||
The board, in collaboration with eligible entities, 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 entities, | ||
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 entity 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 public junior colleges and public | ||
technical institutes 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 entities 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. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is | ||
required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates | ||
money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not | ||
appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the coordinating | ||
board may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other | ||
appropriations available for that purpose. | ||
SECTION 4. 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. |