By:  Bivins                                  S.B. No. 1712

         97S0847/1                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

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

 1-2     participate in the Skills Development Fund.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 303.001, Labor Code, is

 1-5     amended to read as follows:

 1-6           (a)  The purpose of this chapter is to remove administrative

 1-7     barriers that impede the response of public community and technical

 1-8     colleges and the Texas Engineering Extension Service to industry

 1-9     and workforce training needs and to develop incentives for public

1-10     community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering

1-11     Extension Service to provide customized assessment and training in

1-12     a timely and efficient manner.

1-13           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 303.002, Labor Code, is

1-14     amended to read as follows:

1-15           (b)  A public community or technical college or the Texas

1-16     Engineering Extension Service may recover customized assessment and

1-17     training costs incurred by the institution [college] if:

1-18                 (1)  there is an actual or projected labor shortage in

1-19     the occupation in which training is provided that is not being met

1-20     by an existing institution or program in the area; and

1-21                 (2)  the wages at the time of job placement for

1-22     individuals who successfully complete customized training at the

1-23     public community or technical college are equal to the prevailing

 2-1     wage for that occupation in the local labor market area.

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

 2-3     amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (f) to read as

 2-4     follows:

 2-5           (b)  The skills development fund may be used by public

 2-6     community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering

 2-7     Extension Service as start-up or emergency funds for the following

 2-8     job-training purposes:

 2-9                 (1)  developing customized training programs for

2-10     businesses and trade unions; and

2-11                 (2)  sponsoring small and medium-sized business

2-12     networks and consortiums.

2-13           (f)  The Texas Engineering Extension Service shall focus

2-14     training efforts under this chapter on programs that:

2-15                 (1)  are statewide in nature;

2-16                 (2)  cover more than one community college district; or

2-17                 (3)  are not available from the local community college

2-18     district.

2-19           SECTION 4.  Section 303.004, Labor Code, is amended to read

2-20     as follows:

2-21           Sec. 303.004.  Fund Review. The Texas Higher Education

2-22     Coordinating Board shall review all customized training programs

2-23     biennially to verify that state funds are being used appropriately

2-24     by public community and technical colleges and the Texas

2-25     Engineering Extension Service under this chapter.

 3-1           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

 3-2           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

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

 3-4     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

 3-5     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 3-6     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.