By: Ellis S.B. No. 367
73R4697 PB-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation and operation of a youth apprenticeship
1-3 grant program.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 481, Government Code, is amended by
1-6 adding Subchapter N to read as follows:
1-7 SUBCHAPTER N. YOUTH APPRENTICESHIP GRANT PROGRAM
1-8 Sec. 481.191. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
1-9 (1) "Advisory committee" means the youth
1-10 apprenticeship advisory committee.
1-11 (2) "Employee" means an individual who performs
1-12 services for another under a contract of hire, whether express or
1-13 implied or oral or written.
1-14 (3) "Employer" means a person that employs one or more
1-15 employees.
1-16 (4) "Executive director" means the executive director
1-17 of the department.
1-18 (5) "Minority group members" include:
1-19 (A) African-Americans;
1-20 (B) American Indians;
1-21 (C) Asian-Americans; and
1-22 (D) Mexican-Americans and other Americans of
1-23 Hispanic origin.
1-24 (6) "Program" means the youth apprenticeship grant
2-1 program.
2-2 (7) "Project" means a specific youth apprenticeship
2-3 project developed and implemented under this subchapter.
2-4 Sec. 481.192. PROGRAM; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The youth
2-5 apprenticeship grant program is created in the department to
2-6 provide high-quality supervised learning opportunities for students
2-7 at the workplace of a participating employer. The program shall be
2-8 based on strong employer involvement and commitment and shall be
2-9 designed to take a person who has successfully completed the 10th
2-10 grade through an apprenticeship process connecting high school and
2-11 the first few years of post-secondary learning. A person may not
2-12 participate in the program as an apprentice for more than four
2-13 years.
2-14 (b) The program shall:
2-15 (1) foster interactive, team-based learning in the
2-16 classroom and at the workplace;
2-17 (2) include curricula on all aspects of the industry
2-18 in which the student is apprenticing;
2-19 (3) use competency-based measures for evaluating
2-20 student progress;
2-21 (4) provide both academic and occupational
2-22 credentials;
2-23 (5) provide access and support to groups, such as
2-24 women, minority group members, and persons with disabilities, and
2-25 explicitly address issues presented by diversity in society and the
2-26 workplace; and
2-27 (6) involve industries and occupations that offer
3-1 entry-level jobs with good opportunities for career advancement
3-2 into high-skill, high-wage jobs.
3-3 (c) The department shall administer the program.
3-4 Sec. 481.193. RULES. The policy board may adopt rules as
3-5 necessary to implement the program.
3-6 Sec. 481.194. FUNDING. The program is funded through the
3-7 general revenue of this state.
3-8 Sec. 481.195. GRANTS; GRANT APPLICATION. (a) The executive
3-9 director may award a grant for a project that meets the
3-10 requirements established by the department for the program.
3-11 (b) A grant made under this section shall be monitored by
3-12 the department and may be renewed annually on application to the
3-13 department. The department shall withdraw a grant for a project if
3-14 the executive director determines that the project is not meeting
3-15 the requirements of the program.
3-16 (c) A grant application must be filed with the department in
3-17 the form prescribed by the executive director. The executive
3-18 director shall act on a completed application not later than the
3-19 30th day after the date on which the application is filed with the
3-20 department.
3-21 Sec. 481.196. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (a) The youth
3-22 apprenticeship advisory committee is established to advise the
3-23 department on the development of the program.
3-24 (b) The advisory committee is composed of 15 members
3-25 appointed by the executive director as follows:
3-26 (1) three members must be employers, representing the
3-27 business community;
4-1 (2) three members must be members of labor unions,
4-2 representing organized labor;
4-3 (3) three members must be high school teachers,
4-4 representing secondary education;
4-5 (4) three members must be faculty members of
4-6 institutions of higher education, representing higher education;
4-7 and
4-8 (5) three members must be persons who are not eligible
4-9 for appointment under Subdivisions (1)-(4), representing the
4-10 general public.
4-11 (c) The advisory committee shall advise the department on
4-12 all aspects of the development of the program, including grant
4-13 project specifications, eligibility criteria for receipt of grants,
4-14 and program performance standards.
4-15 (d) The executive director shall dissolve the advisory
4-16 committee immediately after the program is developed and in
4-17 operation.
4-18 (e) A member of the advisory committee serves without
4-19 compensation but is entitled to reimbursement for actual and
4-20 necessary expenses incurred in performing duties as a member of the
4-21 advisory committee, subject to any applicable limitation in the
4-22 General Appropriations Act.
4-23 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1993.
4-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-25 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-26 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-27 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-1 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.