BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 114

By: White

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been noted that high school students and even students who have enlisted or who intend to enlist in the U.S. armed forces are often unaware that they can receive college credit for military experience, education, and training. There are concerns that this lack of knowledge may affect how students plan not only for a future in the military but also for their post-military education. H.B. 114 intends to facilitate greater dissemination of this information by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to cooperate with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in making this information available to public school districts and charter schools.

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. 114 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), in cooperation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, to develop and annually make available to each public school district and each open-enrollment charter school that offers a high school program informational materials regarding the availability of college credit awarded by institutions of higher education to veterans and military servicemembers for military experience, education, and training obtained during military service, including information regarding the college credit for heroes program. The bill requires TWC, in cooperation with the coordinating board, to develop and make such informational materials available not later than September 1, 2020.

H.B. 114 amends the Education Code to require the inclusion of information regarding the availability of college credit awarded by institutions of higher education to veterans and military servicemembers as described by the informational materials developed by TWC in the information an applicable school counselor is required to provide about postsecondary education to a student and the student's parent or guardian during specified periods of the student's enrollment. The bill establishes that the information provided by the counselor about such availability must explain to any student who is enlisted or intends to enlist in the U.S. armed forces the informational materials developed under the bill's provisions. These provisions regarding postsecondary education counseling apply beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2019.