BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 66

By: Romero, Jr.

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns that the allocation of student success-based incentive funds to public junior colleges currently lacks measurements that account for the completion of continuing workforce education courses that are ineligible for academic credit and that this lack of applicable measurements may result in an incomplete understanding of the extent to which a junior college fulfills this aspect of its mission. H.B. 66 seeks to address this concern by requiring such measurements to be considered in allocating those funds.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

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

H.B. 66 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in making recommendations to the legislature for appropriations of student success-based incentive funds for public junior colleges, to incorporate the consideration of student success measures, and include appropriate funding recommendations based on those measures, achieved in qualified continuing workforce education courses offered by those colleges for which credit toward a certificate or associate's degree is not awarded. For purposes of the bill's provisions, a continuing workforce education course is considered qualified if the course is consistent with the role and mission of a public junior college and is designed to prepare students with skills necessary to attain external workforce credentials, regardless of whether the course is part of a recognized sequence of courses that requires a specific number of contact hours.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.