1-1     By:  Fraser                                           S.B. No. 1780
 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 12, 1999; March 15, 1999, read
 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Education; May 6, 1999,
 1-4     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;
 1-5     May 6, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the creation of the high priority program fund to
 1-9     support vocational and technical education.
1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11           SECTION 1.  Subtitle H, Title 3, Education Code, is amended
1-12     by adding Chapter 151 to read as follows:
1-13                  CHAPTER 151.  HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAM FUND
1-14           Sec. 151.001.  DEFINITIONS.  In this section:
1-15                 (1)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-16     Education Coordinating Board.
1-17                 (2)  "High priority program" means a technical or
1-18     vocational program offered by a public junior college or public
1-19     technical institute that:
1-20                       (A)  is specifically intended to meet the
1-21     workforce training demands of business and industry as determined
1-22     by the coordinating board;
1-23                       (B)  is determined to be of particular importance
1-24     in a specific junior college district or to the state; and
1-25                       (C)  requires a significant investment to achieve
1-26     or maintain its purpose.
1-27                 (3)  "High priority program fund" means the fund
1-28     established under this chapter to assist in the design,
1-29     development, upgrade, revision, or expansion of high priority
1-30     programs.
1-31                 (4)  "Public junior college" and "public technical
1-32     institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
1-33           Sec. 151.002.  ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.  (a)  It is essential
1-34     to this state's economic growth that this state provide a qualified
1-35     and trained workforce for maintaining and expanding the global
1-36     competitiveness of the state's business and industry, for retaining
1-37     existing business and industry, and for attracting new business and
1-38     industry to this state.  The high priority program fund is
1-39     established as a means to accomplish this purpose.
1-40           (b)  Providing appropriated funds to public junior colleges
1-41     and public technical institutes for high priority programs is
1-42     important to this state's welfare and, consequently, is an
1-43     important public purpose for the expenditure of state funds.  The
1-44     high priority program fund is intended to enhance the state's
1-45     economic growth by:
1-46                 (1)  enhancing the competitiveness of business and
1-47     industry in this state by providing workforce training that is
1-48     responsive to the specific needs of business and industry; and
1-49                 (2)  encouraging the location, retention, and expansion
1-50     of business and industry in this state.
1-51           Sec. 151.003.  ADMINISTRATION; GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES.
1-52     (a)  The coordinating board shall administer the high priority
1-53     program fund.
1-54           (b)  The coordinating board shall determine whether a public
1-55     junior college or public technical institute is eligible to receive
1-56     an award from the fund.  To be eligible to receive an award, a
1-57     public junior college or public technical institute must
1-58     demonstrate to the coordinating board that:
1-59                 (1)  the program proposed for funding meets an
1-60     immediate business or industry need of particular importance in the
1-61     junior college district or this state;
1-62                 (2)  the award will enhance the state's vocational and
1-63     technical education system;
1-64                 (3)  an award from the fund is necessary to assist the
 2-1     public junior college or public technical institute in the
 2-2     successful design, development, upgrade, revision, or expansion of
 2-3     the program; and
 2-4                 (4)  the development of the program will provide an
 2-5     economic benefit to the residents of the public junior college
 2-6     district or of this state.
 2-7           (c)  The coordinating board, in consultation with public
 2-8     junior colleges and public technical institutes,  shall adopt
 2-9     guidelines and procedures for the administration of this chapter.
2-10           Sec. 151.004.  FUNDING.  (a)  The high priority program fund
2-11     is funded by appropriations and by gifts, grants, and donations
2-12     made for that purpose.
2-13           (b)  From money appropriated from the fund, the comptroller
2-14     shall issue warrants to each eligible public junior college or
2-15     public technical institute in the amount certified by the
2-16     coordinating board to the comptroller.
2-17           (c)  The money may be expended by the public junior college
2-18     or public technical institute only to support the development,
2-19     design, upgrade, renovation, or expansion of specific high priority
2-20     programs for which the award is made and may not be expended for
2-21     the general support of ongoing instruction at the public junior
2-22     college or public technical institute.  The money may be expended
2-23     for facilities if necessary for the development, upgrade, revision,
2-24     or expansion of a program and approved by the coordinating board.
2-25           (d)  Money appropriated from the high priority program fund
2-26     may be used to match a grant provided by private industry for a
2-27     particular program at an eligible public junior college or public
2-28     technical institute.
2-29           (e)  Supplies, materials, services, or equipment purchased by
2-30     a public junior college or public technical institute with money
2-31     received under this chapter are not subject to the authority of the
2-32     General Services Commission.
2-33           Sec. 151.005.  PROGRESS REPORTS.  A public junior college or
2-34     public technical institute receiving money under this chapter shall
2-35     report on the progress of the funded high priority program to the
2-36     coordinating board not later than September 1 of each year of the
2-37     program, until the coordinating board provides that further
2-38     progress reports are not required.
2-39           Sec. 151.006.  MERIT REVIEW.  The coordinating board shall
2-40     evaluate the effectiveness of this chapter and programs receiving
2-41     money under this chapter and report its findings to the Legislative
2-42     Budget Board not later than September 1 of the second year of each
2-43     state fiscal biennium.
2-44           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-45           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-46     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-47     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-48     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-49     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.
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