BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1469

By: Thierry

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There have been reports that career and technical education has been correlated with improved academic outcomes, such as higher graduation rates. It has been further noted that there is a demand in Texas for workers with such credentials and skills. C.S.H.B. 1469 seeks to capitalize on workforce opportunities while improving high school outcomes by making public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that offer qualifying career and technical education eligible to participate in skills development fund programs without imposing certain partnership requirements.

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 rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 4 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1469 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) by rule to establish and develop additional programs using the skills development fund under which a public school district or open-enrollment charter school that includes a high school that provides a career and technology education program in which at least 35 percent of the students at the high school are enrolled may provide through that high school customized workforce training opportunities designed specifically to meet regional emerging future industry and workforce training needs identified by the TWC. The bill expressly does not require a district or charter school, in order to participate in a program established under this provision, to partner with one or more specific public institutions of higher education.

C.S.H.B. 1469 includes an applicable district or charter school among the entities to which certain provisions relating to the skills development fund apply, as follows:

· an authorization to use the fund as start-up or emergency funds for developing customized training programs for businesses and trade unions and for sponsoring small- and medium-sized business networks and consortiums;

· an authorization for the TWC to create incentives for specified entities to provide workforce training in partnership with one or more employers by means of certain TWC job incentive programs that use the fund; and

· reporting requirements applicable to entities that provide workforce training under skills development fund programs.

C.S.H.B. 1469 includes an applicable district or charter school among the entities whose customized training programs the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is required to review biennially and requires the Texas Education Agency to assist the coordinating board as necessary in the review of a program provided by a high school of such a district or charter school.     

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1469 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following summarizes the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

The substitute revises a provision establishing that a district or charter school, to participate in certain programs, is not required to partner with one or more specific employers or public institutions of higher education to refer only to partnerships with institutions of higher education.