Bill Text: TX SB441 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Fast Start Program to promote rapid delivery of workforce education and development.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2013-06-10 - Effective immediately [SB441 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-SB441-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 441 | ||
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| relating to the establishment of the Texas Fast Start Program to | ||
| promote rapid delivery of workforce education and development. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 302.0032 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 302.0032. TEXAS FAST START PROGRAM. (a) In this | ||
| section: | ||
| (1) "Fast start program" means a career and technical | ||
| education program designed to help students earn postsecondary | ||
| certificates and degrees and enter into the workforce quickly. | ||
| (2) "Public junior college," "public state college," | ||
| and "public technical institute" have the meanings assigned by | ||
| Section 61.003, Education Code. | ||
| (b) The commission, in partnership with the Texas Higher | ||
| Education Coordinating Board, shall establish and administer the | ||
| Texas Fast Start Program to identify and develop methods to | ||
| support, and shall provide support for, competency-based, | ||
| rapid-deployment education delivery models for use by public junior | ||
| colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes. | ||
| The models must be designed to assist students in maximizing | ||
| academic or workforce education program credit from public junior | ||
| colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes to | ||
| expedite the entry of those students into the workforce. | ||
| (c) The commission shall work collaboratively with the | ||
| Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, public junior colleges, | ||
| public state colleges, and public technical institutes to | ||
| accomplish the purposes of this section. | ||
| (d) A public junior college, public state college, or public | ||
| technical institute may use the competency-based, rapid-deployment | ||
| education delivery models described by Subsection (b) in developing | ||
| or expanding a fast start program at the college or institute. | ||
| (e) A fast start program offered by a public junior college, | ||
| public state college, or public technical institute must: | ||
| (1) focus on the current and future needs of employers | ||
| in this state; | ||
| (2) enable students to obtain postsecondary | ||
| certificates and degrees at an accelerated pace in high-demand | ||
| fields or occupations, as identified by local employers; | ||
| (3) incorporate competency-based learning techniques; | ||
| (4) feature a variety of access channels that are | ||
| uniquely designed to maximize job preparedness for identified | ||
| groups such as veterans, high school graduates, and current | ||
| workforce members seeking retraining; and | ||
| (5) be designed for rapid deployment statewide. | ||
| (f) Through the collaboration, the commission may award | ||
| grants to public junior colleges, public state colleges, and public | ||
| technical institutes for: | ||
| (1) the expansion of existing fast start programs; | ||
| (2) the development of new fast start programs; and | ||
| (3) any other activities related to the purposes of | ||
| this section. | ||
| (g) A grant received under this section may be used only to: | ||
| (1) support a course or program that prepares students | ||
| for career employment in fields or occupations that are identified | ||
| as high-demand by local employers; | ||
| (2) finance the initial costs of developing a fast | ||
| start program, including the costs of constructing or renovating | ||
| facilities, purchasing equipment, and other associated expenses; | ||
| (3) finance the development or expansion of a fast | ||
| start program leading to a postsecondary certificate or degree; or | ||
| (4) offer a new or expanded dual credit fast start | ||
| program jointly with a public high school. | ||
| (h) The commission and the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board shall administer the program using money | ||
| appropriated to the commission or board, money received from | ||
| federal or other sources, or money from holding accounts that may be | ||
| used by the commission for the purpose of skills development. | ||
| (i) The commission and the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board may adopt rules as necessary for the | ||
| administration of this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. 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, 2013. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 441 passed the Senate on | ||
| March 26, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 441 passed the House on | ||
| May 15, 2013, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, two | ||
| present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
