SRC-HRD S.B. 813 75(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 813 By: Truan International Relations, Trade & Technology 3-25-97 As Filed DIGEST In recent town meetings held across Texas many manufacturing exporters indicated that they were having extreme difficulty meeting market demand and producing the high quality products that are required in the international marketplace due to the lack of qualified job applicants to fill their needs. Specifically, they are not able to find young applicants in Texas with the basic skills required to operate the machines and equipment used to produce a wide variety of parts, components and finished products for export. Many Texas high schools had good vocational education programs prior to the 1970s or even 1980s, but there are concerns that these programs have not been sustained and much of the machinery and equipment used in them has become old or obsolete. S.B. 813 provides for the creation of a career and technology education improvement pilot program directed toward purchase of new equipment, training materials and teacher salaries, together with marketing and program evaluation costs, in certain school districts. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 813 authorizes the Texas Education Agency to select three or four school districts in major metropolitan areas and establish a career and technology education pilot program in the middle, junior high, and high schools. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Education Agency under SECTION 1 (Section 29.186, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 29F, Education Code, by adding Section 29.186, as follows: Sec. 29.186. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT PILOT PROGRAM. Requires the Texas Education Agency (agency) to select three or four school districts to establish a career and technology education improvement pilot program in district middle, junior high, and high schools. Requires each district to be located in a major industrialized metropolitan area. Requires the agency to notify each district in this state located in a major industrialized metropolitan area of the opportunity to establish a pilot program and the information necessary for a district to apply for participation. Requires the agency to select districts to establish a pilot program based on proposals submitted by districts. Sets forth requirements regarding each proposal. Requires the agency to distribute to districts selected to establish a pilot program money appropriated for that purpose. Requires the distribution to a district to be based on the number of district students participating in the pilot program. Requires each district to use the money only for equipment, training aids, and facilities used in a career and technology education program at a district school approved by the agency for participation in the pilot program and for salaries of district personnel serving in one of those programs. Authorizes the agency to adopt rules with which a district must comply in operating a pilot program and spending funds distributed for pilot program purposes. SECTION 2. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.