Bill Text: TX SB346 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the participation of open-enrollment charter schools in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-24 - Effective immediately [SB346 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB346-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to the participation of open-enrollment charter schools in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2021-05-24 - Effective immediately [SB346 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB346-Engrossed.html
By: Paxton, West | S.B. No. 346 |
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relating to the participation of open-enrollment charter schools | ||
and eligible nonprofit organizations in the Jobs and Education for | ||
Texans (JET) Grant Program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 134.004, Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 134.004. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET) GRANT | ||
PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall establish and administer the | ||
Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants | ||
to public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public | ||
state colleges, eligible nonprofit organizations, and independent | ||
school districts and open-enrollment charter schools described | ||
under Section 134.007 that apply to the advisory board in the manner | ||
prescribed by the advisory board. The commission shall award the | ||
grants on the advice and recommendations of the advisory board. | ||
(b) Grants may be awarded under this chapter from the Jobs | ||
and Education for Texans (JET) fund to defray the start-up costs | ||
associated with the development of new career and technical | ||
education programs at public junior colleges, public technical | ||
institutes, public state colleges, and independent school | ||
districts and open-enrollment charter schools described under | ||
Section 134.007 that meet the requirements of Section 134.006. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 134.001, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as follows: | ||
(1-a) "Nonprofit organization" means an organization | ||
exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(a), Internal | ||
Revenue Code of 1986, as an organization described by Section | ||
501(c)(3) of that code. | ||
SECTION 3. Chapter 134, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Section 134.005 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 134.005. GRANTS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR | ||
INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. (a) The commission may award | ||
a grant to a nonprofit organization eligible under Subsection (b) | ||
for the development, support, or expansion of programs to prepare | ||
low-income students for careers in high-demand occupations. | ||
(b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a | ||
nonprofit organization must: | ||
(1) provide a program to offer assistance to | ||
low-income students in preparing for, applying to and enrolling in | ||
a public junior college or public technical institute; | ||
(2) be governed by a board or other governing | ||
structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based | ||
community organizations and members of the local business | ||
community; | ||
(3) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the advisory | ||
board that the organization's program has achieved or will achieve | ||
the following measures of success among program participants to the | ||
extent applicable to the type of program the organization provides: | ||
(A) above-average completion of developmental | ||
education among participating public junior college or public | ||
technical institute students; | ||
(B) above-average persistence rates among | ||
participating public junior college or public technical institute | ||
students; | ||
(C) above-average certificate or degree | ||
completion rates by participating students within a three-year | ||
period compared to demographically comparable public junior | ||
college and public technical institute students; and | ||
(D) employment of participating students at an | ||
average full-time starting wage that is equal to or greater than the | ||
prevailing wage for the occupation entered; and | ||
(4) provide matching funds in accordance with rules | ||
adopted under Section 134.008. | ||
(c) The matching funds required under Subsection (b)(4) may | ||
be obtained from any source available to the nonprofit | ||
organization, including in-kind contributions, community or | ||
foundation grants, individual contributions, and local | ||
governmental agency operating funds. | ||
(d) Grants awarded under this section must be awarded in a | ||
manner that takes a balanced geographical distribution into | ||
consideration. | ||
SECTION 4. Sections 134.006(a) and (d), Education Code, are | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) The commission may award a grant for the development of | ||
new career and technical education courses or programs at public | ||
junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state | ||
colleges, [ |
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charter schools. | ||
(d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a | ||
public junior college, public technical institute, public state | ||
college, or independent school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
school described under Section 134.007 must provide matching funds | ||
in accordance with rules adopted under Section 134.008. The | ||
matching funds may be obtained from any source available to the | ||
public junior college, public technical institute, public state | ||
college, [ |
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charter school, including industry consortia, community or | ||
foundation grants, individual contributions, and local | ||
governmental agency operating funds. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 134.007, Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 134.007. GRANTS AWARDED TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT | ||
OR OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOL. The commission may award a | ||
grant to an independent school district or open-enrollment charter | ||
school under this chapter if the district or school has entered into | ||
a partnership with a public junior college, public technical | ||
institute, or public state college for the purpose of: | ||
(1) promoting career and technical education to the | ||
district's or school's students; or | ||
(2) offering dual credit courses to the district's or | ||
school's students. | ||
SECTION 6. 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. |