By: Ellis S.B. No. 170
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
1-1 relating to access to state funds for adult education.
1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-3 SECTION 1. Section 11.18, Education Code, as amended by
1-4 Chapters 463 and 812, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular
1-5 Session, 1989, is amended to read as follows:
1-6 Sec. 11.18. Adult Education. (a) As used in this section,
1-7 the following words and phrases shall have the indicated meanings:
1-8 (1) "Adult education" means services and instruction
1-9 provided below the college level for adults by public local
1-10 education agencies, public nonprofit agencies, or community-based
1-11 organizations <below the college credit level for adults>.
1-12 (2) "Adult" means any individual who is over the age
1-13 of compulsory school attendance as set forth in Section 21.032 of
1-14 this code.
1-15 (3) "Community-based organization" has the meaning
1-16 assigned by 20 U.S.C. Section 1201a, including any future
1-17 amendments.
1-18 (4) "Community education" means the concept which
1-19 involves the people of the community in a program designed to
1-20 fulfill their educational needs, while promoting more effective use
1-21 of public education facilities and other public facilities for the
1-22 purpose of providing recreational, cultural, and other related
1-23 community services.
1-24 (b) The Central Education Agency shall:
2-1 (1) manage this program with adequate staffing to
2-2 develop, administer, and support a comprehensive statewide adult
2-3 education program and coordinate related federal and state programs
2-4 for education and training of adults;
2-5 (2) develop, implement, and regulate a comprehensive
2-6 statewide program for community level education services to meet
2-7 the special needs of adults;
2-8 (3) develop the mechanism and guidelines for
2-9 coordination of comprehensive adult education and related skill
2-10 training services for adults with other agencies, both public and
2-11 private, in planning, developing, and implementing related
2-12 programs, including community education programs;
2-13 (4) administer all state and federal funds for adult
2-14 education and related skill training in Texas, except funds
2-15 provided for the work force development incentive program developed
2-16 by the Texas Department of Commerce;
2-17 (5) prescribe and administer standards and accrediting
2-18 policies for adult education;
2-19 (6) prescribe and administer rules and regulations for
2-20 teacher certification for adult education; and
2-21 (7) accept and administer grants, gifts, services, and
2-22 funds from available sources for use in adult education.
2-23 (c) Adult education programs shall be provided by public
2-24 school districts, public junior colleges, <and> public
2-25 universities, public nonprofit agencies, and community-based
2-26 organizations approved in accordance with state statute and the
2-27 regulations and standards adopted by the State Board of Education.
3-1 The programs shall be designed to meet the education and training
3-2 needs of adults to the extent possible within available public and
3-3 private resources. Bilingual education may be the method of
3-4 instruction for students who do not function satisfactorily in
3-5 English whenever it is appropriate for their optimum development.
3-6 (d) The State Board of Education may establish or designate
3-7 an adult education advisory committee composed of no more than 21
3-8 members representing public and private nonprofit education,
3-9 business, labor, minority groups, and the general public for the
3-10 purpose of advising the board on needs, priorities, and standards
3-11 of adult education programs conducted in accordance with this
3-12 section of the Texas Education Code.
3-13 (e) Funds shall be appropriated to implement statewide adult
3-14 basic education, adult bilingual education, high school
3-15 equivalency, and high school credit programs to eliminate
3-16 illiteracy in Texas and to implement and support a statewide
3-17 program to meet the total range of adult needs for adult education,
3-18 related skill training, and pilot programs to demonstrate the
3-19 effectiveness of the community education concept. The Central
3-20 Education Agency shall ensure that public local education agencies,
3-21 public nonprofit agencies, and community-based organizations have
3-22 direct and equitable access to those funds. An additional sum of
3-23 money may be appropriated to the Texas Department of Commerce for
3-24 the purpose of skill training in direct support of industrial
3-25 expansion and start-up, and those locations, industries, and
3-26 occupations designated by the Texas Department of Commerce, when
3-27 such training is also in support of the basic purposes of this
4-1 section. To fulfill the basic purposes of this section, an
4-2 additional sum of money may be appropriated for skill training that
4-3 is conducted to support the expansion of civilian employment
4-4 opportunities on United States military reservations. The Central
4-5 Education Agency, in conjunction with the Texas Department of
4-6 Commerce, may adopt rules to administer such skill training
4-7 programs for which the Central Education Agency is responsible, and
4-8 the Texas Department of Commerce may adopt rules to administer such
4-9 skill training programs for which it is responsible.
4-10 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
4-11 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-12 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-13 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-14 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-15 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-16 passage, and it is so enacted.