By Oliveira                                           H.B. No. 1626
         76R3320 JSA-F                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to facilities and equipment grants for public junior
 1-3     colleges and public technical institutes.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
 1-6     Subchapter T to read as follows:
 1-7                  SUBCHAPTER T.  PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGE AND
 1-8         TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM
 1-9           Sec. 61.851.  DEFINITION.  In this subchapter, "institution"
1-10     means a public junior college or a public technical institute as
1-11     defined by Section 61.003.
1-12           Sec. 61.852.  PROGRAM NAME AND PURPOSE.  The Public Junior
1-13     College and Technical Institute Facilities and Equipment Grant
1-14     Program is established to provide financial assistance to
1-15     institutions that demonstrate a need for facility and equipment
1-16     enhancements and are located in communities with low per capita
1-17     property wealth or income.
1-18           Sec. 61.853.  ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY.  (a)  The board shall
1-19     administer the program.
1-20           (b)  The board may adopt rules as necessary to administer
1-21     this subchapter.
1-22           Sec. 61.854.  GRANT PROCEEDS.  A grant awarded under this
1-23     subchapter must be used by the grant recipient for:
1-24                 (1)  construction, maintenance, improvement, or
 2-1     renovation of facilities of the recipient; or
 2-2                 (2)  equipment to be used by the recipient.
 2-3           Sec. 61.855.  ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT.  An institution must
 2-4     apply for a grant under the program on a form provided or approved
 2-5     by the board and meet any other reasonable requirements established
 2-6     by board rule.
 2-7           Sec. 61.856.  AWARD OF GRANT.  (a)  The board may award
 2-8     financial assistance to an eligible institution that has
 2-9     demonstrated a need for training programs in the community served
2-10     by the institution.  The board shall award grants on a competitive
2-11     basis.
2-12           (b)  In assessing an institution's grant application, the
2-13     board shall consider, at a minimum:
2-14                 (1)  the revenue capacity of the institution as
2-15     measured by per capita property wealth and per capita income of the
2-16     county or district in which the institution is located;
2-17                 (2)  the unemployment rate in the community;
2-18                 (3)  the rate of enrollment growth at the institution;
2-19                 (4)  the average level of education attainment in the
2-20     community; and
2-21                 (5)  the amount of community support for the
2-22     institution and its proposed project, as demonstrated by letters
2-23     addressed to the board from area leaders and participants in the
2-24     institution's partnership programs with local businesses.
2-25           Sec. 61.857.  APPLICATION REVIEW.  The board shall adopt
2-26     application procedures and deadlines for the program.  The board
2-27     shall approve or deny each grant application not later than the
 3-1     45th day after the application deadline.
 3-2           Sec. 61.858.  FUNDING.  (a)  The public junior college and
 3-3     technical institute facilities and equipment fund is an account in
 3-4     the general revenue fund.  Money in the fund may be used only for
 3-5     the purposes of this subchapter.  The board may solicit and accept
 3-6     gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for
 3-7     the purposes of this subchapter and shall deposit that money to the
 3-8     credit of the fund.
 3-9           (b)  Grants awarded under this subchapter are payable from
3-10     the money in the fund established under Subsection (a) or from
3-11     money appropriated by the legislature for that purpose.
3-12           Sec. 61.859.  ANNUAL REPORT.  Not later than November 1 of
3-13     each year, the board shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant
3-14     governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a report
3-15     detailing for the preceding state fiscal year the amount of each
3-16     grant awarded under this subchapter, the recipient of the grant,
3-17     and the projects for which the grant was awarded.
3-18           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-19           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-20     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
3-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
3-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.