By Fraser S.B. No. 1780
76R6786 CAG-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of the high priority program fund to
1-3 support vocational and technical education.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
1-6 by adding Chapter 151 to read as follows:
1-7 CHAPTER 151. HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAM FUND
1-8 Sec. 151.001. DEFINITIONS. In this section:
1-9 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-10 Education Coordinating Board.
1-11 (2) "High priority program" means a technical or
1-12 vocational program offered by a public junior college or public
1-13 technical institute that:
1-14 (A) is specifically intended to meet the
1-15 workforce training demands of business and industry as determined
1-16 by the coordinating board;
1-17 (B) is determined to be of particular importance
1-18 in a specific junior college district or to the state; and
1-19 (C) requires a significant investment to achieve
1-20 or maintain its purpose.
1-21 (3) "High priority program fund" means the fund
1-22 established under this chapter to assist in the design,
1-23 development, upgrade, revision, or expansion of high priority
1-24 programs.
2-1 (4) "Public junior college" and "public technical
2-2 institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
2-3 Sec. 151.002. ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE. (a) It is essential
2-4 to this state's economic growth that this state provide a qualified
2-5 and trained workforce for maintaining and expanding the global
2-6 competitiveness of the state's business and industry, for retaining
2-7 existing business and industry, and for attracting new business and
2-8 industry to this state. The high priority program fund is
2-9 established as a means to accomplish this purpose.
2-10 (b) Providing appropriated funds to public junior colleges
2-11 and public technical institutes for high priority programs is
2-12 important to this state's welfare and, consequently, is an
2-13 important public purpose for the expenditure of state funds. The
2-14 high priority program fund is intended to enhance the state's
2-15 economic growth by:
2-16 (1) enhancing the competitiveness of business and
2-17 industry in this state by providing workforce training that is
2-18 responsive to the specific needs of business and industry; and
2-19 (2) encouraging the location, retention, and expansion
2-20 of business and industry in this state.
2-21 Sec. 151.003. ADMINISTRATION; GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES.
2-22 (a) The coordinating board shall administer the high priority
2-23 program fund.
2-24 (b) The coordinating board shall determine whether a public
2-25 junior college or public technical institute is eligible to receive
2-26 an award from the fund. To be eligible to receive an award, a
2-27 public junior college or public technical institute must
3-1 demonstrate to the coordinating board that:
3-2 (1) the program proposed for funding meets an
3-3 immediate business or industry need of particular importance in the
3-4 junior college district or this state;
3-5 (2) the award will enhance the state's vocational and
3-6 technical education system;
3-7 (3) an award from the fund is necessary to assist the
3-8 public junior college or public technical institute in the
3-9 successful design, development, upgrade, revision, or expansion of
3-10 the program; and
3-11 (4) the development of the program will provide an
3-12 economic benefit to the residents of the public junior college
3-13 district or of this state.
3-14 (c) The coordinating board, in consultation with public
3-15 junior colleges and public technical institutes, shall adopt
3-16 guidelines and procedures for the administration of this chapter.
3-17 Sec. 151.004. FUNDING. (a) The high priority program fund
3-18 is funded by appropriations and by gifts, grants, and donations
3-19 made for that purpose.
3-20 (b) From money appropriated from the fund, the comptroller
3-21 shall issue warrants to each eligible public junior college or
3-22 public technical institute in the amount certified by the
3-23 coordinating board to the comptroller.
3-24 (c) The money may be expended by the public junior college
3-25 or public technical institute only to support the development,
3-26 design, upgrade, renovation, or expansion of specific high priority
3-27 programs for which the award is made and may not be expended for
4-1 the general support of ongoing instruction at the public junior
4-2 college or public technical institute. The money may be expended
4-3 for facilities if necessary for the development, upgrade, revision,
4-4 or expansion of a program and approved by the coordinating board.
4-5 (d) Money appropriated from the high priority program fund
4-6 may be used to match a grant provided by private industry for a
4-7 particular program at an eligible public junior college or public
4-8 technical institute.
4-9 (e) Supplies, materials, services, or equipment purchased by
4-10 a public junior college or public technical institute with money
4-11 received under this chapter are not subject to the authority of the
4-12 General Services Commission.
4-13 Sec. 151.005. PROGRESS REPORTS. A public junior college or
4-14 public technical institute receiving money under this chapter shall
4-15 report on the progress of the funded high priority program to the
4-16 coordinating board not later than September 1 of each year of the
4-17 program, until the coordinating board provides that further
4-18 progress reports are not required.
4-19 Sec. 151.006. MERIT REVIEW. The coordinating board shall
4-20 evaluate the effectiveness of this chapter and programs receiving
4-21 money under this chapter and report its findings to the Legislative
4-22 Budget Board not later than September 1 of the second year of each
4-23 state fiscal biennium.
4-24 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
4-25 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
4-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.