1-1     By:  Bivins                                           S.B. No. 1712

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; April 3, 1997,

 1-4     reported adversely, with favorable Committee Substitute by the

 1-5     following vote:  Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 3, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1712                  By:  Bivins

 1-7                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-8                                   AN ACT

 1-9     relating to authorizing the Texas Engineering Extension Service to

1-10     participate in the skills development fund.

1-11           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-12           SECTION 1.  Subsection (a), Section 303.001, Labor Code, is

1-13     amended to read as follows:

1-14           (a)  The purpose of this chapter is to remove administrative

1-15     barriers that impede the response of public community and technical

1-16     colleges and the Texas Engineering Extension Service to industry

1-17     and workforce training needs and to develop incentives for public

1-18     community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering

1-19     Extension Service to provide customized assessment and training in

1-20     a timely and efficient manner.

1-21           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 303.002, Labor Code, is

1-22     amended to read as follows:

1-23           (b)  A public community or technical college or the Texas

1-24     Engineering Extension Service may recover customized assessment and

1-25     training costs incurred by the institution [college] if:

1-26                 (1)  there is an actual or projected labor shortage in

1-27     the occupation in which training is provided that is not being met

1-28     by an existing institution or program in the area; and

1-29                 (2)  the wages at the time of job placement for

1-30     individuals who successfully complete customized training at the

1-31     public community or technical college are equal to the prevailing

1-32     wage for that occupation in the local labor market area.

1-33           SECTION 3.  Section 303.003, Labor Code, is amended by

1-34     amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read

1-35     as follows:

1-36           (b)  The skills development fund may be used by public

1-37     community and technical colleges and the Texas Engineering

1-38     Extension Service as start-up or emergency funds for the following

1-39     job-training purposes:

1-40                 (1)  developing customized training programs for

1-41     businesses and trade unions; and

1-42                 (2)  sponsoring small and medium-sized business

1-43     networks and consortiums.

1-44           (f)  The Texas Engineering Extension Service shall focus

1-45     training efforts under this chapter on programs that:

1-46                 (1)  are statewide in nature; or

1-47                 (2)  are not available from the local community college

1-48     district or a consortium of community college districts.

1-49           (g)  Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit

1-50     the Texas Engineering Extension Service from participating in a

1-51     consortium of junior college districts that provides training under

1-52     this chapter.

1-53           SECTION 4.  Section 303.004, Labor Code, is amended to read

1-54     as follows:

1-55           Sec. 303.004.  Fund Review.  The Texas Higher Education

1-56     Coordinating Board shall review all customized training programs

1-57     biennially to verify that state funds are being used appropriately

1-58     by public community and technical colleges and the Texas

1-59     Engineering Extension Service under this chapter.

1-60           SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-61           SECTION 6.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-62     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-63     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-64     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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