BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1296

By: Alvarado

Economic & Small Business Development

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Interested parties contend that there is a lack of information on the location of job shortages in Texas and on the educational degrees or certificates students should be acquiring in order to fill job openings in Texas. Having this type of information could assist Texas colleges and universities in planning degree programs and course of study offerings and could help meet the demand for workers in applicable industries. C.S.H.B. 1296 seeks to provide information concerning Texas' projected workforce needs through a collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Workforce Commission, and other state agencies.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1296 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to prepare information comparing institutions of higher education in Texas and to post the information on TEA's Internet website. The bill requires the information to be given to a public school student who requests the information and requires the information to identify postsecondary education and career opportunities; compare each institution of higher education with other institutions regarding the relative cost of tuition, retention and graduation rates, student debt, loan repayment rates, and employment rates; identify Texas' future workforce needs; and include certain annual wage information. The bill requires TEA to collaborate with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to obtain the information and requires TEA to incorporate the use of existing materials and develop new materials to be provided to counselors, students, and parents regarding institutions of higher education.  

C.S.H.B. 1296 adds temporary provisions, set to expire August 31, 2017, relating to a coordinating board report projecting Texas' workforce needs.  The bill requires the coordinating board, in conjunction with TWC, and in consultation with any other state agency as requested by the coordinating board or TWC, to collect relevant information and make five-year projections concerning Texas' workforce needs and the educational attainment and training of persons projected to enter that workforce.   The bill requires the coordinating board to identify, based on those projections, the types and levels of education, training, and skills needed to meet Texas' future workforce needs and to make recommendations concerning the expansion of existing programs or the development of new programs at public and private postsecondary educational institutions in Texas as necessary to meet the projected workforce needs. The bill authorizes a postsecondary educational institution to use the recommendations in planning for degree programs, coursework offerings, and training programs. The bill requires the coordinating board, not later than February 1, 2015, to prepare and submit electronically to TEA, each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education or workforce development, and to each public and private postsecondary educational institution in Texas a report of the information collected and analyzed under these provisions, including coordinating board recommendations for programming at postsecondary educational institutions. The bill authorizes the coordinating board to provide subsequent updates to the report as the coordinating board considers necessary.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1296 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and highlighted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
No equivalent provision.	SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 7.040 to read as follows: Sec. 7.040.  POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.  (a)  The agency shall prepare information comparing institutions of higher education in this state and post the information on the agency's Internet website.  Information prepared under this section shall be given to a public school student who requests the information.  The information shall: (1)  identify postsecondary education and career opportunities, including information that states the benefits of four-year and two-year higher education programs, postsecondary technical education, skilled workforce careers, and career education programs; (2)  compare each institution of higher education with other institutions regarding: (A)  the relative cost of tuition; (B)  the retention rate of students; (C)  the graduation rate of students; (D)  the average student debt; (E)  the loan repayment rate of students; and (F)  the  employment rate of students; (3) identify the state's future workforce needs, as projected by the Texas Workforce Commission; and (4) include annual wage information for the top 10 highest demand jobs in this state, as identified by the Texas Workforce Commission. (b)  The agency shall collaborate with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission to obtain the information required under Subsection (a).  The agency shall incorporate the use of existing materials and develop new materials to be provided to counselors, students, and parents regarding institutions of higher education.
SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 61.0907 to read as follows: Sec. 61.0907.  ANNUAL REPORT PROJECTING WORKFORCE NEEDS.  (a)  The board, in conjunction with the Texas Workforce Commission and in consultation with any other state agency as requested by the board or the commission, shall collect relevant information and make an annual projection for the next three-year period concerning: (1)  the workforce needs of this state, including the specific types and levels of education or training and the number of workers with each type and level of education or training projected to be needed; and (2)  the educational attainment and training of persons projected to enter the state workforce, including: (A)  the number of postsecondary education degrees and certificates projected to be awarded, disaggregated by level and field; (B)  the number of relevant licenses, certificates, or similar credentials projected to be awarded, disaggregated by the industry, trade, or profession in which a credential may be used; and (C)  any other types of specialized training and skills projected to be available. (b)  Based on the projections made under Subsection (a), the board shall identify the types and levels of education, training, and skills that must be increased or decreased in meeting the state's future workforce needs and shall make recommendations concerning the creation, expansion, or contraction of programs at public and private postsecondary educational institutions in this state as necessary to meet the projected workforce needs. (c) A postsecondary educational institution may use the recommendations made under Subsection (b) in planning for degree programs, coursework offerings, and training programs. (d)  Not later than February 1 of each odd-numbered year, the board shall prepare and submit electronically to each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education or workforce development and to each public and private postsecondary educational institution in this state a report of the information collected and analyzed under this section, including recommendations of the board for programming at postsecondary educational institutions. (e)  This section expires August 31, 2017.	SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 61.0907 to read as follows: Sec. 61.0907.  REPORT PROJECTING WORKFORCE NEEDS.  (a)  The board, in conjunction with the Texas Workforce Commission and in consultation with any other state agency as requested by the board or the commission, shall collect relevant information and make five-year projections concerning: (1)  the workforce needs of this state; and (2)  the educational attainment and training of persons projected to enter the state workforce. (b)  Based on the projections made under Subsection (a), the board shall identify the types and levels of education, training, and skills that are needed to meet the state's future workforce needs and shall make recommendations concerning the expansion of existing programs or the development of new programs at public and private postsecondary educational institutions in this state as necessary to meet the projected workforce needs. (c) A postsecondary educational institution may use the recommendations made under Subsection (b) in planning for degree programs, coursework offerings, and training programs. (d)  Not later than February 1, 2015, the board shall prepare and submit electronically to each standing legislative committee with primary jurisdiction over higher education or workforce development, each public and private postsecondary educational institution in this state, and the Texas Education Agency a report of the information collected and analyzed under this section, including recommendations of the board for programming at postsecondary educational institutions. The board may provide subsequent updates to the report as the board considers necessary. (e)  This section expires August 31, 2017.
SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.	SECTION 3. Same as introduced version.