BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2994
85R10025 KSD-F	By: Ashby et al. (Hinojosa)
	Higher Education
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

Interested parties contend that certain legislative direction is insufficient as it pertains to workforce continuing education courses offered at public junior colleges and with regard to how the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board should treat minors enrolled in these courses for the reimbursement of contact hours. H.B. 2994 seeks to provide further direction with regard to workforce continuing education offered by public junior colleges.

 

H.B. 2994 amends current law relating to workforce continuing education offered by public junior colleges.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in SECTION 1 (Section 130.305, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 130, Education Code, by adding Subchapter L, as follows:

 

SUBCHAPTER L. WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION

 

Sec. 130.301. DEFINITIONS. Defines "adult," "coordinating board," "workforce continuing education," and "workforce continuing education course."

 

Sec. 130.302. FORMULA FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES. Requires that contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a student in a workforce continuing education course offered by a public junior college, notwithstanding Section 130.003 (State Appropriation for Public Junior Colleges) or any other law, be included in the contact hours used to determine the college's proportionate share of state money appropriated and distributed to public junior colleges under Sections 130.003 and 130.0031 (Transfers: When Made), regardless of whether the course is taken by a student who is not an adult under Section 130.303 or the college waives all or part of the tuition or fees for the course under Section 130.304.

 

Sec. 130.303. WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. Authorizes a public junior college to enter into an agreement with a school district, organization, or other person that operates a high school to offer workforce continuing education courses to persons enrolled in a high school who are at least 16 years of age on the census date of the applicable course. Provides that, for purposes of this section and Section 130.304, a person who is enrolled in a school that is not formally organized as a high school is considered to be enrolled in high school.

 

Sec. 130.304. WAIVER OF TUITION AND FEES FOR CERTAIN WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES. Authorizes a public junior college to waive all or part of the tuition or fees charged to a student for a workforce continuing education course if:

 

(1) the student is enrolled in high school; is 16 years of age or older, has had the disabilities of minority removed, and is not enrolled in secondary education; or is under the age of 18 and is incarcerated;

 

(2) all or a significant portion of the college's costs for facilities, instructor salaries, equipment, and other expenses for the course are covered by business, industry, or other local public or private entities; or

 

(3) the course is taught in a federal correctional facility and the facilities, equipment, supplies, and other expenses for the course are funded by the federal government.

 

Sec. 130.305. RULES. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to adopt any rules THECB considers necessary for the administration of this subchapter. Requires THECB, in adopting those rules, to use the negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008 (Negotiated Rulemaking), Government Code.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2017.