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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the creation of the Texas Industrial Workforce |
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Apprenticeship grant program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. C |
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hapter 481, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter EE to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER EE. TEXAS INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE APPRENTICESHIP GRANT |
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PROGRAM |
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Sec. 481.601. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas Industrial |
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Workforce Apprenticeship grant program is to meet the immediate |
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industrial workforce needs of the state resulting from the impact |
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of Hurricane Harvey and overall workforce shortages. |
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Sec. 481.602. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter, |
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(1) "Apprenticeship program" means a training program |
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that provides on-the-job training, preparatory instruction, |
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supplementary instruction, or related instruction in a trade that |
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has been certified as an apprenticible occupation by the Bureau of |
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Apprenticeship Training of the United States Department of Labor. |
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(2) "Person" means an individual or a corporation, |
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partnership, limited liability company, business trust, trust, |
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association, or other organization, estate, or other legal entity, |
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or a series of a domestic limited liability company or foreign |
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entity. The term does not include government or a governmental |
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subdivision or agency. |
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Sec. 481.603. PROGRAM. The office shall establish and |
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administer the Texas Industrial Workforce Apprenticeship grant |
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program to encourage the private sector to develop specialized |
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industrial workforce apprenticeship training programs. Under the |
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program, the office shall provide grants for persons who meet the |
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requirements in Section 481.605. |
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Sec. 481.604. TEXAS INDUSTRIAL WORKFORCE APPRENTICESHIP |
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FUND. (a) The Texas Industrial Workforce Apprenticeship Fund is a |
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dedicated account in the general revenue fund. |
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(b) The following amounts shall be deposited in the fund: |
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(1) any amounts appropriated by the legislature for |
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the fund for purposes described by this chapter; |
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(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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fund; and |
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(3) gifts, grants, and other donations received for |
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the fund. |
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(c) The fund may be used only for an apprenticeship program |
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that meets the requirements of Section 481.605. |
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Sec. 481.605. APPLICATION; ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To |
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be eligible to receive a grant under this section, the person must: |
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(1) be in good standing under the laws of the state in |
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which the person was formed or organized, as evidenced by a |
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certificate issued by the secretary of state or the state official |
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having custody of the records pertaining to entities or other |
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organizations formed under the laws of that state; and |
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(2) owe no delinquent taxes to a taxing unit of this |
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state. |
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(b) The person shall also have in place an apprenticeship |
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program that: |
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(1) provides on-the-job training under an |
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industry-recognized, accredited training curriculum; |
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(2) guarantees employment for participants during and |
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upon completion of the training period; |
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(3) pays each participant a minimum of $15 per hour |
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during the training period, and provides eligibility for |
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participants to receive full-time employee benefits during and upon |
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completion of the training period; |
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(4) requires participants to advance their skills, at |
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a minimum, to a credentialed mid-level status in the field related |
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to the apprenticeship program; |
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(5) has a duration of no less than 16 weeks and no |
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longer than 26 weeks; and |
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(6) gives preference to training and hiring: |
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(A) unemployed Texans listed on the database of |
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the Texas Workforce Commission; |
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(B) U.S. military veterans; |
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(C) formerly incarcerated individuals; and |
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(D) underemployed individuals who are working |
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without industry-recognized credentials or certifications. |
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Sec. 481.606. LIMITATIONS ON GRANT AMOUNT. The amount of a |
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grant under this chapter may not exceed $10,000 per apprenticeship |
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program participant to reimburse the cost of training, not |
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including wages and benefits. |
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Sec. 481.607. REQUIREMENTS; GRANT AWARD. (a) Before |
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awarding a grant to a person under this section, the office shall |
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determine that a sufficient number of apprenticeship program |
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participants: |
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(1) completed the program and achieved the training |
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requirements specified by Section 481.605(b) (4); and |
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(2) have maintained available and suitable employment |
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for a period not less than six months cumulatively after completion |
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of the apprenticeship program. |
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(b) The office by rule may develop the criteria for making |
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the determinations specified by Subsection (a). |
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(c) The office shall distribute the grant funds as a |
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reimbursement for training costs incurred by grant recipients in |
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accordance with Section 481.606. |
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Sec. 481.608. PROGRAM RULES. (a) The executive director |
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shall adopt rules to administer and enforce this chapter. |
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(b) The office shall post a copy of the rules on its website. |
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Sec. 481.609. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) By December 1 of each |
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year, the office shall submit to the lieutenant governor, the |
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speaker of the house of representatives, and each other member of |
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the legislature a report on grants made under Section 481.607 that |
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states: |
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(1) the number of direct jobs each recipient created |
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in this state in each category of the Equal Employment Opportunity |
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Code; |
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(2) the median wage of the jobs each recipient created |
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in this state; |
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(3) the total amount of grants made to each recipient; |
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and |
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(4) the number and categorization of program |
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participants trained and employed by each recipient under Section |
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481.605(b)(6). |
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(b) The report may not include information that is made |
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confidential by law. |
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(c) The office may require a recipient of a grant under |
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Section 481.607 to submit, on a form the office provides, |
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information required to complete the report. |
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(d) The office shall post the annual report on its website. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |