BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2790
	By: White; Fallon (Miles)
	Finance
	5/17/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties note the increasing demand for employees in certain skilled trades. H.B. 2790 creates more opportunities for people to acquire the necessary skills to practice those trades by expanding certain apprenticeship training programs in the apprenticeship system of adult career and technology education.�

H.B. 2790 amends current law relating to funding for certain apprenticeship training programs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Sections 133.002(b), (f), and (g), Education Code, as follows:

(b) Authorizes an apprenticeship training program (program) to be conducted by an independent apprenticeship committee or be, rather than requires a program to be, sponsored by a public school district or a state postsecondary institution (institution) pursuant to a contract between the district or institution and an apprenticeship committee.

(f) Requires funding for a program sponsored by a public school district or institution, rather than requires funding for a program, in addition to any other money available, to be provided by the apprenticeship committee pursuant to the terms of the contract referred to in Subsection (b).

(g) Requires that a program provide, rather than requires that, pursuant to the terms of the contract referred to in Subsection (b), adequate facilities, personnel, and resources to effectively administer the program in a manner consistent with the public's need for skilled craftsmen and the apprentices' need for marketable skills in apprenticible occupations, rather than to be provided.

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 133.005(a) and (b), Education Code, as follows:

(a) Requires that the audit trail of all funds appropriated for the apprenticeship system of adult career and technology education, for each course that is funded, include certain records, including the name of the sponsoring public school district or state postsecondary institution or of the apprenticeship committee offering the course if the apprenticeship training program is not sponsored by a public school district or state postsecondary institution, rather than the name of the sponsoring public school district or institution.

(b) Requires a public school district, institution, or apprenticeship committee operating an apprenticeship training program not sponsored by a public school district or institution that receives funds, rather than requires public school districts or institutions receiving funds, to maintain a clear audit trail which is required to include records of receipts for all expenditures relating solely to each particular course.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 133.006(e), Education Code, to include an apprenticeship committee to entities to which no funds are required to be distributed until the entity has filed all reports required by this chapter (Apprenticeship System of Adult Career and Technology Education) and by the Texas Employment Commission.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2017.