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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the development of a statewide online education and |
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career advising tool and the establishment of a grant program to |
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reimburse private employers for paid internships provided to |
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certain public school students in career and technology education |
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programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 28, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 28.0092 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 28.0092. ONLINE EDUCATION AND CAREER ADVISING TOOL. |
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(a) In this section, "institution of higher education" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) Subject to the availability of federal funding for this |
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purpose, the agency shall develop and implement a statewide online |
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education and career advising tool to assist children in making |
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informed, meaningful, and attainable postsecondary and career |
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plans. |
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(c) The online education and career advising tool must |
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include: |
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(1) an individualized career pathway generator that |
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assists a child in selecting a career and identifying the secondary |
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and postsecondary courses the child should take to advance toward |
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that career; and |
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(2) information regarding: |
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(A) any local, regional, or statewide |
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articulation agreements regarding dual credit programs or the |
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transfer of course credit between institutions of higher education; |
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(B) the postsecondary and career options |
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associated with each endorsement under Section 28.025(c-1), |
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including the dual credit courses related to each endorsement that |
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apply toward a certificate or degree program at an institution of |
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higher education; |
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(C) any stackable degree programs provided by an |
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institution of higher education through which a student may obtain |
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a series of credentials as the student progresses through the |
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program; |
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(D) existing and anticipated employment |
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opportunities statewide and in a child's community, aligned to |
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state and regional workforce needs; |
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(E) anticipated earnings in various careers; |
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(F) local, regional, and statewide career |
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training and certification programs, including the requirements, |
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costs, and available options for those programs; and |
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(G) the time and cost required for and other |
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expenses related to various postsecondary and career options. |
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(d) In developing and implementing the online education and |
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career advising tool, the agency shall consult with the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce |
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Commission. On request by the agency, the coordinating board and |
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the commission shall provide to the agency any data maintained by |
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the coordinating board or commission that is necessary to develop |
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the tool. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 29.194 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 29.194. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PAID INTERNSHIPS. (a) To |
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encourage private entities to participate in providing career and |
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technology education to assist public school students in developing |
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the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a broad range |
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of career opportunities, the commissioner shall establish a |
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competitive grant program under which grants are awarded to school |
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districts and open-enrollment charter schools for the |
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reimbursement of private entities for all or part of the cost of |
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providing a paid internship or similar program to a student |
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participating in a career and technology education program in the |
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district or school. |
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(b) In awarding grants under this section, the commissioner |
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shall give preference to school districts and open-enrollment |
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charter schools that, as determined by the commissioner: |
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(1) have a high percentage of students who fail to |
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perform satisfactorily on relevant state assessments; and |
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(2) serve economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. |
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(c) To be eligible to receive reimbursement under the grant |
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program, a paid internship or similar program must: |
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(1) satisfy a curriculum requirement for an |
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endorsement adopted by rule under Section 28.025(c-1), or qualify |
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as a dual credit course; and |
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(2) pay the student at least the minimum wage required |
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by law. |
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(d) The total amount of grants awarded under this section |
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may not exceed $5 million in a state fiscal biennium. A grant |
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awarded to a school district or open-enrollment charter school may |
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not exceed the lesser of: |
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(1) $1 million in a state fiscal biennium; or |
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(2) an amount determined by the commissioner not to |
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exceed $2,500 for each participating student enrolled in the |
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district or school in the school year in which the grant is awarded. |
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(e) A grant awarded to a school district or open-enrollment |
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charter school may only be used to reimburse a private entity for |
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all or part of the cost of providing an eligible paid internship or |
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similar program to a student participating in a career and |
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technology education program in the district or school. A private |
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entity may not receive reimbursement under this section for |
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providing a paid internship or similar program to a student who is |
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related to the owner of the entity within the third degree of |
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consanguinity as determined under Subchapter B, Chapter 573, |
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Government Code. |
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(f) Not later than December 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the commissioner, in cooperation with the Texas Workforce |
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Commission, shall submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, |
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and the legislature a report on the effectiveness of the grant |
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program in creating jobs. The report must include, to the extent |
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available: |
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(1) the total number of paid internships or similar |
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programs for which a private entity received reimbursement through |
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a grant awarded under this section and the total amount of money |
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reimbursed for those internships or programs through a grant; |
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(2) the total number of students who completed a paid |
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internship or similar program described by Subdivision (1) and were |
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subsequently hired for a permanent job in this state by the private |
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entity that offered the internship or program; |
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(3) for the permanent jobs described by Subdivision |
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(2): |
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(A) the median wage of those jobs; |
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(B) the North American Industry Classification |
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System classification of each of those jobs; and |
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(C) the number of those jobs that provide health |
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benefits coverage; |
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(4) the number of private entities that offered a paid |
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internship or similar program described by Subdivision (1) that are |
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historically underutilized businesses, as defined by Section |
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2161.001, Government Code, and the total amount of money reimbursed |
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through a grant awarded under the grant program for the internship |
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or program; |
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(5) demographic information on students participating |
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in paid internships or similar programs described by Subdivision |
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(1), including the school districts or open-enrollment charter |
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schools in which the students are enrolled, to the extent allowed |
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under state and federal law; and |
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(6) an assessment of the number of eligible paid |
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internships or similar programs that would not have been offered in |
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the absence of a reimbursement provided through a grant and the |
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total number of students who completed those internships or |
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programs, including for each school year in which grants are |
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awarded, an estimate of the number of public high school students of |
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legal working age who were employed in this state for any period of |
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time during that school year outside of a paid internship or similar |
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program described by Subdivision (1). |
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(g) The commissioner, in consultation with the Texas |
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Workforce Commission, shall adopt rules as necessary to implement |
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this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 42.005, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (g-2) to read as follows: |
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(g-2) The time during which a student participates in a paid |
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internship or similar program that is funded in whole or in part |
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through a grant awarded under the grant program established by |
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Section 29.194 shall be counted as part of the minimum number of |
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instructional hours required for a student to be considered a |
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full-time student in average daily attendance for purposes of this |
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section. |
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SECTION 4. Section 29.194, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. |
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SECTION 5. 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. |