By Carona S.B. No. 554
77R5788 JSA-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to grants by the Texas Workforce Commission to assist
1-3 economically disadvantaged persons enrolled in qualified
1-4 postsecondary career education programs.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
1-7 adding Chapter 305 to read as follows:
1-8 CHAPTER 305. TEXAS CAREER OPPORTUNITY GRANT PROGRAM
1-9 SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
1-10 Sec. 305.001. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas Career
1-11 Opportunity Grant Program is to help ensure a qualified workforce
1-12 to meet the needs of this state by reducing the financial barriers
1-13 to postsecondary career education and training for economically
1-14 disadvantaged Texans.
1-15 Sec. 305.002. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
1-16 (1) "Commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission.
1-17 (2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-18 Education Coordinating Board.
1-19 (3) "Eligible institution" means a proprietary school
1-20 in this state that:
1-21 (A) holds a certificate of approval under
1-22 Chapter 132, Education Code; and
1-23 (B) is approved by the commission under Section
1-24 305.023 for its students to participate in the grant program
2-1 established under this chapter.
2-2 (4) "Public junior college" and "public technical
2-3 institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003, Education
2-4 Code.
2-5 (5) "Qualified education program" means a
2-6 postsecondary education program that meets the requirements
2-7 provided by Section 305.024.
2-8 (Sections 305.003-305.020 reserved for expansion
2-9 SUBCHAPTER B. GRANT PROGRAM
2-10 Sec. 305.021. TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT; AMOUNT OF GRANT.
2-11 (a) The commission may provide tuition assistance grants to Texas
2-12 residents enrolled in a qualified education program at an eligible
2-13 institution.
2-14 (b) In selecting applicants to receive grants under this
2-15 chapter and the amount of the grant for each applicant, the
2-16 commission shall consider:
2-17 (1) the financial need and resources of an applicant;
2-18 (2) the state's need for workforce development in the
2-19 applicant's proposed career field;
2-20 (3) the efficient use of the money available for
2-21 grants;
2-22 (4) the fair allocation of grants to promote workforce
2-23 development in different career fields;
2-24 (5) the opportunity of applicants from all regions of
2-25 this state to receive financial assistance under this chapter; and
2-26 (6) any other factor the commission considers
2-27 appropriate to further the purposes of this chapter.
3-1 Sec. 305.022. LIMITATIONS ON GRANT AMOUNT. (a) The amount
3-2 of a grant under this chapter may not exceed the lower of:
3-3 (1) the maximum grant amount, if any, specified by the
3-4 legislature in an appropriation act; or
3-5 (2) the amount by which the tuition and required fees
3-6 at the eligible institution attended exceeds the average amount of
3-7 tuition and required fees that would be charged at a public junior
3-8 college or public technical institute, as determined by the
3-9 commission based on information provided by the coordinating board.
3-10 (b) The total amount of grants paid under this chapter on
3-11 behalf of a student during a state fiscal year may not exceed an
3-12 amount equal to 50 percent of the average state appropriation in
3-13 the biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is made for
3-14 a full-time student or the equivalent at a public junior college or
3-15 public technical institute, as determined by the coordinating board
3-16 and certified to the commission.
3-17 (c) The amount of a grant to a part-time student shall be
3-18 made on a pro-rata basis in relation to the amount of the grant the
3-19 person would be entitled to receive if enrolled as a full-time
3-20 student.
3-21 Sec. 305.023. APPROVAL OF INSTITUTIONS. The commission
3-22 shall approve a proprietary school for its students to participate
3-23 in the grant program established under this chapter if the school:
3-24 (1) has been accredited for not less than five years
3-25 by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department
3-26 of Education and maintains that accreditation; and
3-27 (2) offers one or more qualified education programs.
4-1 Sec. 305.024. QUALIFIED EDUCATION PROGRAMS. For purposes of
4-2 this chapter, a qualified education program is a postsecondary
4-3 course of instruction in a specific career field that:
4-4 (1) is at least one academic year in length as defined
4-5 by the United States Department of Education; and
4-6 (2) leads to a certificate, certification, degree, or
4-7 diploma in the career field.
4-8 Sec. 305.025. NONDISCRIMINATION. The commission in
4-9 administering this chapter shall ensure compliance with Title VI,
4-10 Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. Section 2000d et seq.), in
4-11 regard to nondiscrimination under any program or activity receiving
4-12 federal financial assistance.
4-13 Sec. 305.026. APPLICATION; ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To
4-14 receive a grant under this chapter, a person must apply to the
4-15 commission in the manner provided by commission rule.
4-16 (b) To be eligible to receive a grant under this chapter, an
4-17 applicant must:
4-18 (1) be a Texas resident and meet the requirements to
4-19 qualify as a Texas resident under Subchapter B, Chapter 54,
4-20 Education Code, and the rules of the coordinating board for the
4-21 payment of resident tuition at a public institution of higher
4-22 education;
4-23 (2) be enrolled in a qualified education program at an
4-24 eligible institution for at least one-half of a full course load;
4-25 (3) be required to pay more tuition and required fees
4-26 than the amount required at a public junior college or public
4-27 technical institute and be charged not less than the regular
5-1 tuition and required fees paid by other students enrolled at the
5-2 eligible institution the person attends;
5-3 (4) establish financial need and eligibility for
5-4 student financial assistance in accordance with procedures and
5-5 regulations of the United States Department of Education for
5-6 financial aid programs under Title IV, Higher Education Act of 1965
5-7 (20 U.S.C. Section 1070 et seq.);
5-8 (5) not be in default on a loan made under the Federal
5-9 Perkins Loan Program, Federal Family Education Loan Program, or
5-10 William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program;
5-11 (6) not owe a refund on a grant received under the
5-12 federal Pell Grant program or the federal Supplemental Education
5-13 Opportunity Grant program; and
5-14 (7) comply with any other requirements adopted by the
5-15 commission under this chapter.
5-16 Sec. 305.027. PAYMENT OF GRANT. (a) On receipt of an
5-17 enrollment report for a student awarded a grant under this chapter
5-18 and certification of the amount of the student's financial need
5-19 from the approved institution, the commission shall certify the
5-20 amount of the grant awarded to the student.
5-21 (b) The grant shall be paid to the student through the
5-22 eligible institution in which the student is enrolled.
5-23 Sec. 305.028. ADOPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RULES. (a) The
5-24 commission may adopt reasonable rules to administer and enforce
5-25 this chapter.
5-26 (b) The commission shall distribute a copy of the rules to
5-27 each eligible institution.
6-1 Sec. 305.029. ANNUAL REPORT. The commission shall prepare
6-2 an annual report regarding the grant program established under this
6-3 chapter. The report shall include for the period covered by the
6-4 report:
6-5 (1) the number of students who received grants under
6-6 this chapter; and
6-7 (2) the number of those students who attended each
6-8 eligible institution, including information on the race or
6-9 ethnicity of those students attending each institution.
6-10 Sec. 305.030. INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION. (a) The commission
6-11 may award grants under this chapter for the 2001-2002 academic year
6-12 only to a person attending the person's first academic year at an
6-13 eligible institution.
6-14 (b) The commission may award grants under this chapter for
6-15 the 2002-2003 academic year only to a person attending the person's
6-16 first or second academic year at an eligible institution.
6-17 (c) This section expires January 1, 2004.
6-18 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
6-19 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
6-20 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
6-21 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
6-22 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.