By Reyna of Dallas                              H.B. No. 2646

      75R8587 CAG-F                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to authorizing the Texas Engineering Extension Service to

 1-3     participate in the skills development fund.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 303.001(a), Labor Code, is amended to

 1-6     read as follows:

 1-7           (a)  The purpose of this chapter is to remove administrative

 1-8     barriers that impede the response of public community and technical

 1-9     colleges and the Texas Engineering Extension Service to industry

1-10     and workforce training needs and to develop incentives for public

1-11     community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering

1-12     Extension Service to provide customized assessment and training in

1-13     a timely and  efficient manner.

1-14           SECTION 2.  Section 303.002(b), Labor Code, is amended to

1-15     read as follows:

1-16           (b)  A public community or technical college or the Texas

1-17     Engineering Extension Service may recover customized assessment and

1-18     training costs  incurred by the institution [college] if:

1-19                 (1)  there is an actual or projected labor shortage in

1-20     the occupation in which training is provided that is not being met

1-21     by an existing institution or program in the area; and

1-22                 (2)  the wages at the time of job placement for

1-23     individuals who successfully complete customized training at the

1-24     public community or technical college or the Texas Engineering

 2-1     Extension Service are equal to the prevailing wage for that

 2-2     occupation in the local labor market area.

 2-3           SECTION 3.  Section 303.003, Labor Code, is amended by

 2-4     amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as

 2-5     follows:

 2-6           (b)  The skills development fund may be used by public

 2-7     community and technical colleges or the Texas Engineering Extension

 2-8     Service as start-up or emergency funds for the following

 2-9     job-training  purposes:

2-10                 (1)  developing customized training programs for

2-11     businesses and trade unions; and

2-12                 (2)  sponsoring small and medium-sized business

2-13     networks and consortiums.

2-14           (f)  The Texas Engineering Extension Service shall focus the

2-15     service's training activities under this chapter on programs that:

2-16                 (1)  are conducted statewide;

2-17                 (2)  are conducted in two or more junior college

2-18     districts; or

2-19                 (3)  are not conducted in any junior college district.

2-20           SECTION 4.  Section 303.004, Labor Code, is amended to read

2-21     as follows:

2-22           Sec. 303.004.  FUND REVIEW.  The Texas Higher Education

2-23     Coordinating Board shall review all customized training programs

2-24     biennially to verify that state funds are being used appropriately

2-25     by public community and technical colleges and the Texas

2-26     Engineering Extension Service under this chapter.

2-27           SECTION 5.  The importance of this legislation and the

 3-1     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

 3-2     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-3     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-4     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

 3-5     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

 3-6     passage, and it is so enacted.