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.