By: Guillen (Senate Sponsor - West, Zaffirini) H.B. No. 1949

(In the Senate - Received from the House April 29, 2019; May 7, 2019, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development; May 16, 2019, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 11, Nays 0; May 16, 2019, sent to printer.) Click here to see the committee vote

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the criteria for awarding adult education and literacy program performance incentive funds.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 315.007, Labor Code, is amended by adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:

(c) The criteria prescribed under Subsection (b)(1) for the award of funds to entities described by Subsection (a) based on performance during a program year must include the achievement by an entity of the following enrollment target and performance benchmarks:

(1) the enrollment in a high school equivalency program or a postsecondary ability to benefit program of at least 25 percent of all students receiving adult education and literacy services from the entity during that program year; and

(2) the achievement by the end of that program year of a high school equivalency certificate or a postsecondary certificate by at least 70 percent of those students who exit the entity's adult education program during that program year and who are enrolled in a high school equivalency program or a postsecondary ability to benefit program.

(d) In this section, "postsecondary ability to benefit program" means a postsecondary certificate program in which a person who does not have a high school diploma or equivalency certificate and who both qualifies for federal student financial aid and demonstrates on an assessment instrument that the person can pass college-level courses with some support may enroll.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.

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