1-1 By: Ellis S.B. No. 170
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed January 6, 1995; January 17, 1995,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
1-4 April 19, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 10,
1-5 Nays 0; April 19, 1995, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to access to state funds for adult education.
1-9 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-10 SECTION 1. Section 11.18, Education Code, as amended by
1-11 Chapters 463 and 812, Acts of the 71st Legislature, Regular
1-12 Session, 1989, is amended to read as follows:
1-13 Sec. 11.18. Adult Education. (a) As used in this section,
1-14 the following words and phrases shall have the indicated meanings:
1-15 (1) "Adult education" means services and instruction
1-16 provided below the college level for adults by public local
1-17 education agencies, public or nonprofit agencies, community-based
1-18 organizations, correctional education agencies, and institutions
1-19 that serve educationally disadvantaged adults <below the college
1-20 credit level for adults>.
1-21 (2) "Adult" means any individual who is over the age
1-22 of compulsory school attendance as set forth in Section 21.032 of
1-23 this code.
1-24 (3) "Community-based organization" has the meaning
1-25 assigned by 20 U.S.C. Section 1201a, including any future
1-26 amendments.
1-27 (4) "Community education" means the concept which
1-28 involves the people of the community in a program designed to
1-29 fulfill their educational needs, while promoting more effective use
1-30 of public education facilities and other public facilities for the
1-31 purpose of providing recreational, cultural, and other related
1-32 community services.
1-33 (5) "Educationally disadvantaged adult" has the
1-34 meaning assigned by 20 U.S.C. Section 1201a, including any future
1-35 amendments.
1-36 (b) The Central Education Agency shall:
1-37 (1) manage this program with adequate staffing to
1-38 develop, administer, and support a comprehensive statewide adult
1-39 education program and coordinate related federal and state programs
1-40 for education and training of adults;
1-41 (2) develop, implement, and regulate a comprehensive
1-42 statewide program for community level education services to meet
1-43 the special needs of adults;
1-44 (3) develop the mechanism and guidelines for
1-45 coordination of comprehensive adult education and related skill
1-46 training services for adults with other agencies, both public and
1-47 private, in planning, developing, and implementing related
1-48 programs, including community education programs;
1-49 (4) administer all state and federal funds for adult
1-50 education and related skill training in Texas, except funds
1-51 provided for the work force development incentive program developed
1-52 by the Texas Department of Commerce;
1-53 (5) prescribe and administer standards and accrediting
1-54 policies for adult education;
1-55 (6) prescribe and administer rules and regulations for
1-56 teacher certification for adult education; and
1-57 (7) accept and administer grants, gifts, services, and
1-58 funds from available sources for use in adult education.
1-59 (c) Adult education programs shall be provided by public
1-60 school districts, public junior colleges, <and> public
1-61 universities, public or private nonprofit agencies, community-based
1-62 organizations, correctional education agencies, and institutions
1-63 that serve educationally disadvantaged adults approved in
1-64 accordance with state statute and the regulations and standards
1-65 adopted by the State Board of Education. The programs shall be
1-66 designed to meet the education and training needs of adults to the
1-67 extent possible within available public and private resources.
1-68 Bilingual education may be the method of instruction for students
2-1 who do not function satisfactorily in English whenever it is
2-2 appropriate for their optimum development.
2-3 (d) The State Board of Education may establish or designate
2-4 an adult education advisory committee composed of no more than 21
2-5 members representing public and private nonprofit education,
2-6 business, labor, minority groups, and the general public for the
2-7 purpose of advising the board on needs, priorities, and standards
2-8 of adult education programs conducted in accordance with this
2-9 section of the Texas Education Code.
2-10 (e) Funds shall be appropriated to implement statewide adult
2-11 basic education, adult bilingual education, high school
2-12 equivalency, and high school credit programs to eliminate
2-13 illiteracy in Texas and to implement and support a statewide
2-14 program to meet the total range of adult needs for adult education,
2-15 related skill training, and pilot programs to demonstrate the
2-16 effectiveness of the community education concept. The Central
2-17 Education Agency shall ensure that public local education agencies,
2-18 public or private nonprofit agencies, community-based
2-19 organizations, correctional education agencies, and institutions
2-20 that serve educationally disadvantaged adults have direct and
2-21 equitable access to these funds. An additional sum of money may be
2-22 appropriated to the Texas Department of Commerce for the purpose of
2-23 skill training in direct support of industrial expansion and
2-24 start-up, and those locations, industries, and occupations
2-25 designated by the Texas Department of Commerce, when such training
2-26 is also in support of the basic purposes of this section. To
2-27 fulfill the basic purposes of this section, an additional sum of
2-28 money may be appropriated for skill training that is conducted to
2-29 support the expansion of civilian employment opportunities on
2-30 United States military reservations. The Central Education Agency,
2-31 in conjunction with the Texas Department of Commerce, may adopt
2-32 rules to administer such skill training programs for which the
2-33 Central Education Agency is responsible, and the Texas Department
2-34 of Commerce may adopt rules to administer such skill training
2-35 programs for which it is responsible.
2-36 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
2-37 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-38 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-39 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-40 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-41 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-42 passage, and it is so enacted.
2-43 * * * * *