BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4047

By: Dominguez

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns regarding the lack of a list of programs or courses for which a student may be given credit in career schools or colleges for the student's applicable military experience, education, and training. H.B. 4047 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to take certain measures to facilitate the award of postsecondary course credit leading to workforce credentialing based on military experience, education, and training.

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. 4047 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to evaluate programs of study or courses offered by career schools or colleges leading to industry‑based certifications or other workforce credentials to identify programs or courses for which skills obtained through military experience, education, and training frequently align. The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to publish on its website a list of any such programs of study or courses identified by the TWC and the relevant military experience, education, or training that may align with those programs or courses. 

H.B. 4047 requires the TWC, in determining whether to approve a career school or college that offers a program of study or course listed on the TWC website and in addition to the criteria prescribed by provisions relating to authorized operation of proprietary schools, to require that the career school or college provide credit to a student toward any course time required for the program of study or course for skills obtained by the student through military experience, education, or training, unless the school or college can demonstrate that those skills are not appropriately aligned with the program of study or course.

H.B. 4047 amends the Labor Code to require the TWC, under the college credit for heroes program, to identify, develop, and support methods to facilitate the award of course time credit by career schools or colleges or other private or nonprofit entities providing programs of study or courses of instruction leading to industry certifications or other workforce credentials to veterans and military service members for military experience, education, or training obtained during military service for programs of study or courses of instruction offered by those schools, colleges, or other entities for which skills obtained through military experience, education, and training align.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.