SRC-DPW S.B. 1026 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1026 76R8654 CAS-DBy: Brown Education 3/29/1999 As Filed DIGEST Currently, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) provides degree-related paid employment to about 150 college students annually. A student's work tours are alternated with periods of full time study at a the student's college or university. This bill would authorize the state to expand the federal college and university level cooperative education programs at NASA-JSC, and allow the state to create a high school cooperative education program at the facility. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1026 authorizes the Texas Space Grant Consortium to establish cooperative programs with school districts and institutions of higher education. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 29F, Education Code, by adding Section 29.187, as follows: Sec. 29.187. TEXAS SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM COOPERATIVE PROGRAM. Authorizes the Texas Space Grant Consortium (consortium) to establish cooperatives with school districts to employ high school students to work on a part-time basis at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (JSC). Requires JSC to place, supervise, and evaluate each participant in the cooperative program. Requires school districts to ensure that students enrolled in the program perform work related to certain fields of study and consult with the State Board of Education to determine the number and type of credits given for participation in the program. Authorizes the consortium to use state funds, gifts, grants and donations for establishing and coordinating the program. Provides that a student is considered to be attending school for the purposes of Section 25.085, while working at JSC. SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 51Z, Education Code, by adding Section 51.9305, as follows: Sec. 51.9305. TEXAS SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM COOPERATIVE PROGRAM. Authorizes the consortium to establish a cooperative program with one or more institution of higher education to employ students during the academic year or between academic terms, at JSC. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinative Board and an institution of higher education in which a participating student is enrolled, to establish certain guidelines for the cooperative program. Defines an "institution of higher education." Makes conforming changes. SECTION 3.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.