MMA C.S.H.B. 2646 75(R)BILL ANALYSIS HIGHER EDUCATION C.S.H.B. 2646 By: Reyna, Elvira 4-12-97 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND The Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is an internationally recognized state agency that has provided vocational and technical training, continuing education, technical assistance and technology transfer services to public and private agencies, businesses and industries for more than 70 years. TEEX is the largest provider of engineering extension training in the nation, traveling more than 2.6 million land miles in 234 counties each year across the state, and offers customized, hands-on training and technical assistance through 700 programs in 14 disciplines. In fiscal year 1996, TEEX trained more than 128,000 people and worked with approximately 2,500 companies. Unlike community or technical colleges, TEEX does not provide degree programs. TEEX primarily trains employed workers in customized training programs or in programs leading to state certification. Recognizing that customized training would increase the supply of well-trained workers and help statewide economic development efforts, the 74th Legislature established the Skills Development Fund (SDF) under the Texas Workforce Commission in 1995. Not being a "public community or technical college," TEEX was not included in this fund. During the interim, numerous industries approached TEEX requesting that training programs be developed by the agency through the SDF. PURPOSE C.S.H.B. 2646 would include the Texas Engineering Extension Service in the Skills Development Fund. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 303.001(a), Labor Code, to provide that the purpose of this chapter is to remove administrative barriers that impede the response of public community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) to industry and workforce training needs and to develop incentives for public community and technical colleges and TEEX to provide customized assessment and training in a timely and efficient manner. SECTION 2. Amends Section 303.002(b), Labor Code, by making conforming and nonsubstantive changes to include TEEX. SECTION 3. Amends Section 303.003, Labor Code, Subsection (b), by making conforming changes and adding Subsection (f) and (g) to read as follows: (f) Requires TEEX to focus training activities on programs that: (1) are statewide; or (2) are not available from a local junior college districts, local technical college, or from a consortium of junior college districts. (g) States that this section does not prohibit TEEX from participating in a consortium that provides training under this chapter. SECTION 4. Amends Section 303.004, Labor Code, by making conforming changes. SECTION 5. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 2646 changes the language in Section 3 to include local technical colleges and to cover instances where a community college consortia are providing training. Adds Subsection (g) which specifies that the Texas Engineering Extension Service is not prohibited from participating in a training consortium. C.S.H.B. 2646 also makes non-substantive language changes to conform with the Senate companion language.