82R10483 KYF-D
 
  By: West S.B. No. 1487
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the regulation of career schools and colleges and
  requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to submit a report to the
  legislature.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 132, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Sections 132.024 and 132.025 to read as follows:
         Sec. 132.024.  BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) The commission shall
  report to the legislature not later than December 1 of each
  even-numbered year on the state of career schools or colleges in
  this state. The commission shall include in its report the
  following data relating to career schools or colleges for the most
  recent two calendar years for which the information is available:
               (1)  the number of career schools or colleges certified
  by the commission to operate in this state;
               (2)  the programs offered at each career school or
  college;
               (3)  the number of persons in this state enrolled in a
  career school or college, disaggregated by career school or college
  and each program of a school or college;
               (4)  the graduation rate for:
                     (A)  each career school or college; and
                     (B)  each program offered at the school or
  college;
               (5)  the percentage of graduates of the career school
  or college who pass the applicable licensing or certification
  examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or
  college:
                     (A)  on the first attempt; and
                     (B)  on the second or a subsequent attempt;
               (6)  the employment rate for graduates of each career
  school or college; and
               (7)  the percentage of students who graduate from each
  career school or college with education-related debt and the
  average amount of education-related debt of those students.
         (b)  The commission shall request from each career school or
  college governed by this chapter any information the commission
  considers necessary for the commission to prepare the report
  required under this section.
         Sec. 132.025.  INTERNET ACCESS TO CAREER SCHOOL OR COLLEGE
  INFORMATION. (a) The commission shall make available to the public
  on its Internet website the information provided to the agency
  under Section 132.0565(c).
         (b)  The information required by Subsection (a) must be:
               (1)  accessible from the commission's Internet website
  home page by use of not more than three links;
               (2)  searchable by keywords and phrases, including the
  name of a career school or college; and
               (3)  accessible to the public without requiring
  registration or use of a user name, a password, or another user
  identification.
         (c)  The commission shall update the commission's Internet
  website as soon as practicable upon receiving updated information
  from each career school or college.
         SECTION 2.  The heading to Section 132.056, Education Code,
  is amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 132.056.  ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL[;
  RENEWAL].
         SECTION 3.  Section 132.056(g), Education Code, is amended
  to read as follows:
         (g)  Before the commission issues a certificate of approval
  [or a renewal certificate of approval] under this section, the
  commission may require a career school or college to comply with the
  requirements of Section 132.0551 and to submit evidence of that
  compliance to the commission.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter C, Chapter 132, Education Code, is
  amended by adding Section 132.0565 to read as follows:
         Sec. 132.0565.  RENEWAL. (a) The commission shall conduct
  an annual renewal evaluation of each career school or college
  certified under this subchapter.
         (b)  At least 30 days before the expiration of a certificate
  of approval, the career school or college shall submit to the
  commission an application for renewal.
         (c)  In addition to any other information required by the
  commission, the application for renewal submitted by a career
  school or college must include the following information relating
  to the school or college for the most recent calendar year for which
  the information is available:
               (1)  the number of students enrolled in the school or
  college;
               (2)  the programs offered by the school or college and
  the number of students enrolled in each program;
               (3)  the graduation rate for the school or college and
  for each program offered at the school or college;
               (4)  the percentage of graduates of the school or
  college who pass the applicable licensing or certification
  examinations associated with the programs offered at the school or
  college:
                     (A)  on the first attempt; and
                     (B)  on the second or a subsequent attempt;
               (5)  the employment rate for graduates of the school or
  college; and
               (6)  the percentage of students who graduate from the
  school or college with education-related debt and the average
  amount of education-related debt of those students.
         (d)  If a school or college fails to file a complete
  application for renewal by the date prescribed by Subsection (b),
  the school or college, as a condition of renewal, must pay, in
  addition to the annual renewal fee, a late renewal fee in an amount
  established by commission rule of at least $100.
         (e)  In determining whether to renew a certificate of
  approval issued under this subchapter, the commission shall
  consider:
               (1)  an on-site reexamination of the premises of the
  school or college;
               (2)  an evaluation of the adequacy, including current
  industry and technological standards, of the equipment and
  instruction used by the career school or college for each program
  offered; and
               (3)  other factors considered in the issuance of the
  original certificate of approval.
         (f)  The commission may renew, revoke, or deny renewal of the
  school's or college's certificate of approval.
         (g)  Before the commission renews a certificate of approval
  under this section, the commission may require a career school or
  college to comply with the requirements of Section 132.0551 and to
  submit evidence of that compliance to the commission.
         SECTION 5.  Section 132.056(d), Education Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 6.  The changes in law made by this Act in amending
  Section 132.056, Education Code, and adding Section 132.0565,
  Education Code, apply only to an application for renewal of a
  certificate of approval submitted on or after the effective date of
  this Act. An application for renewal of a certificate of approval
  submitted before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
  law in effect on the date the application for renewal of a
  certificate of approval was submitted, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.