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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the regulation of career schools and colleges and |
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requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to submit a report to the |
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legislature. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 132, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 132.024 and 132.025 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 132.024. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) The commission shall |
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report to the legislature not later than December 1 of each |
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even-numbered year on the state of career schools or colleges in |
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this state. The commission shall include in its report the |
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following data relating to career schools or colleges for the most |
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recent two calendar years for which the information is available: |
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(1) the number of career schools or colleges certified |
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by the commission to operate in this state; |
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(2) the programs offered at each career school or |
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college; |
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(3) the number of persons in this state enrolled in a |
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career school or college, disaggregated by career school or college |
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and each program of a school or college; |
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(4) the graduation rate for: |
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(A) each career school or college; and |
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(B) each program offered at the school or |
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college; |
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(5) the percentage of graduates of the career school |
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or college who pass the applicable licensing or certification |
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examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or |
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college: |
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(A) on the first attempt; and |
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(B) on the second or a subsequent attempt; |
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(6) the employment rate for graduates of each career |
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school or college; and |
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(7) the percentage of students who graduate from each |
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career school or college with education-related debt and the |
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average amount of education-related debt of those students. |
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(b) The commission shall request from each career school or |
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college governed by this chapter any information the commission |
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considers necessary for the commission to prepare the report |
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required under this section. |
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Sec. 132.025. INTERNET ACCESS TO CAREER SCHOOL OR COLLEGE |
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INFORMATION. (a) The commission shall make available to the public |
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on its Internet website the information provided to the agency |
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under Section 132.0565(c). |
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(b) The information required by Subsection (a) must be: |
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(1) accessible from the commission's Internet website |
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home page by use of not more than three links; |
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(2) searchable by keywords and phrases, including the |
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name of a career school or college; and |
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(3) accessible to the public without requiring |
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registration or use of a user name, a password, or another user |
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identification. |
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(c) The commission shall update the commission's Internet |
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website as soon as practicable upon receiving updated information |
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from each career school or college. |
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SECTION 2. The heading to Section 132.056, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 132.056. ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL[;
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RENEWAL]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 132.056(g), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(g) Before the commission issues a certificate of approval |
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[or a renewal certificate of approval] under this section, the |
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commission may require a career school or college to comply with the |
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requirements of Section 132.0551 and to submit evidence of that |
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compliance to the commission. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter C, Chapter 132, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 132.0565 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 132.0565. RENEWAL. (a) The commission shall conduct |
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an annual renewal evaluation of each career school or college |
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certified under this subchapter. |
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(b) At least 30 days before the expiration of a certificate |
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of approval, the career school or college shall submit to the |
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commission an application for renewal. |
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(c) In addition to any other information required by the |
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commission, the application for renewal submitted by a career |
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school or college must include the following information relating |
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to the school or college for the most recent calendar year for which |
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the information is available: |
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(1) the number of students enrolled in the school or |
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college; |
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(2) the programs offered by the school or college and |
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the number of students enrolled in each program; |
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(3) the graduation rate for the school or college and |
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for each program offered at the school or college; |
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(4) the percentage of graduates of the school or |
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college who pass the applicable licensing or certification |
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examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or |
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college: |
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(A) on the first attempt; and |
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(B) on the second or a subsequent attempt; |
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(5) the employment rate for graduates of the school or |
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college; and |
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(6) the percentage of students who graduate from the |
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school or college with education-related debt and the average |
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amount of education-related debt of those students. |
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(d) If a school or college fails to file a complete |
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application for renewal by the date prescribed by Subsection (b), |
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the school or college, as a condition of renewal, must pay, in |
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addition to the annual renewal fee, a late renewal fee in an amount |
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established by commission rule of at least $100. |
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(e) In determining whether to renew a certificate of |
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approval issued under this subchapter, the commission shall |
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consider: |
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(1) an on-site reexamination of the premises of the |
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school or college; |
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(2) an evaluation of the adequacy, including current |
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industry and technological standards, of the equipment and |
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instruction used by the career school or college for each program |
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offered; and |
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(3) other factors considered in the issuance of the |
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original certificate of approval. |
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(f) The commission may renew, revoke, or deny renewal of the |
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school's or college's certificate of approval. |
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(g) Before the commission renews a certificate of approval |
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under this section, the commission may require a career school or |
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college to comply with the requirements of Section 132.0551 and to |
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submit evidence of that compliance to the commission. |
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SECTION 5. Section 132.056(d), Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 6. The changes in law made by this Act in amending |
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Section 132.056, Education Code, and adding Section 132.0565, |
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Education Code, apply only to an application for renewal of a |
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certificate of approval submitted on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. An application for renewal of a certificate of approval |
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submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the |
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law in effect on the date the application for renewal of a |
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certificate of approval was submitted, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |