By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1055
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the administration by the Texas Workforce Commission of
  a workforce diploma pilot program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, is amended by
  adding Chapter 317 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 317.  WORKFORCE DIPLOMA PILOT PROGRAM
         Sec. 317.001.  DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
               (1)  "Adult" means any individual who is over the age of
  compulsory school attendance prescribed by Section 25.085,
  Education Code.
               (2)  "Program" means the workforce diploma pilot
  program established under this chapter.
         Sec. 317.002.  PROGRAM ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION;
  PURPOSE. The commission, in consultation with the Texas Education
  Agency, shall establish and administer a workforce diploma pilot
  program under which eligible high school diploma-granting entities
  participating in the program may be reimbursed for successfully
  assisting adult students to obtain a high school diploma and
  develop technical career readiness skills and employability.
         Sec. 317.003.  REQUEST FOR PROGRAM PROVIDER QUALIFICATIONS.  
  Not later than October 15 of each year, the commission shall publish
  a request for qualifications for providers to participate in the
  program.
         Sec. 317.004.  PROVIDER ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible to
  participate as a provider under the program, a provider must:
               (1)  apply to the commission in the manner prescribed
  by commission rule;
               (2)  be a public, nonprofit, or private high school
  diploma-granting entity accredited by a regional accrediting body;
               (3)  have at least two years of experience providing
  dropout reengagement services to adult students, including
  recruitment, learning plan development, and proactive coaching and
  mentoring, leading to the obtainment of a high school diploma;
               (4)  be equipped to:
                     (A)  provide:
                           (i)  academic skill intake assessment and
  transcript evaluations;
                           (ii)  remediation coursework in literacy and
  numeracy;
                           (iii)  a research-validated academic
  resiliency assessment and intervention;
                           (iv)  employability skills development
  aligned to employer needs;
                           (v)  career pathways coursework;
                           (vi)  preparation for the attainment of
  industry-recognized credentials; and
                           (vii)  career placement services; and
                     (B)  develop a learning plan that integrates
  academic requirements and career goals; and
               (5)  offer a course catalog that includes all courses
  necessary to meet high school graduation requirements in this
  state.
         Sec. 317.005.  PROVIDER APPROVAL; LIST OF APPROVED
  PROVIDERS.  (a)  Not later than November 15 of each year, the
  commission shall publish a list of providers approved by the
  commission to participate in the program during the next calendar
  year. 
         (b)  An approved provider maintains approval to participate
  in the program during a subsequent calendar year without reapplying
  to the commission unless the provider is removed from the approved
  provider list as provided by Section 317.008.
         Sec. 317.006.  REIMBURSEMENT OF PROGRAM PROVIDERS FOR
  STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.  (a)  To the extent money is available for
  that purpose, the commission shall reimburse each approved provider
  participating in the program for the achievement of the following
  milestones by students receiving services from the provider:
               (1)  $250 for the completion of a half credit;
               (2)  $250 for the completion of an employability skills
  certification program equal to at least one Carnegie unit or the
  equivalent;
               (3)  $250 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
  credential requiring not more than 50 hours of training;
               (4)  $500 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
  credential requiring at least 50 but not more than 100 hours of
  training;
               (5)  $750 for the attainment of an industry-recognized
  credential requiring more than 100 hours of training; and
               (6)  $1,000 for the obtainment of a high school
  diploma.
         (b)  Not later than the 10th calendar day of each month, an
  approved provider participating in the program shall submit to the
  commission an invoice for the milestones achieved by the provider's
  students during the previous calendar month.
         (c)  The commission shall reimburse approved program
  providers in the order in which invoices are received by the
  commission until all funds available for the program are exhausted. 
         Sec. 317.007.  ANNUAL REPORT.  Not later than January 15 of
  each year, each approved provider that participated in the program
  during the previous calendar year shall report to the commission
  the following data regarding the provider's students for that year:
               (1)  the number of students for which the provider
  received reimbursement under the program;
               (2)  the total number of credits earned by the
  students;
               (3)  the total number of employability skills
  certification programs completed by the students;
               (4)  the total number of industry-recognized
  credentials attained by the students in each of the funding tiers
  described by Sections 317.006(a)(3), (4), and (5); and
               (5)  the number of students who obtained a high school
  diploma.
         Sec. 317.008.  PROVIDER PERFORMANCE REVIEW. (a)  The
  commission by rule shall prescribe minimum performance standards
  for providers participating in the program. The minimum
  performance standards must include:
               (1)  a graduation rate of at least 50 percent; and
               (2)  a program cost per graduate of $7,000 or less.
         (b)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(1) and (2), the
  commission by rule shall develop formulas to make the appropriate
  calculations. The graduation rate must be calculated one cohort
  year in arrears.
         (c)  The commission shall review data from each
  participating approved provider annually to ensure that the
  services offered by the provider are meeting the minimum
  performance standards.  If the commission determines that an
  approved provider did not meet the minimum performance standards in
  the previous calendar year, the commission shall place the provider
  on probationary status for the remainder of the current calendar
  year. 
         (d)  The commission shall remove from the approved provider
  list published under Section 317.005 any provider that does not
  meet the minimum performance standards for two consecutive calendar
  years.
         Sec. 317.009.  REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each
  even-numbered year, the commission shall submit to the legislature
  a report on the effectiveness of the program. The commission shall
  include in the report a recommendation regarding whether the
  program should be continued, expanded, or terminated.
         Sec. 317.010.  EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September
  1, 2025.
         SECTION 2.  The Texas Workforce Commission is required to
  implement a provision of this Act only if the legislature
  appropriates money specifically for that purpose. If the
  legislature does not appropriate money specifically for that
  purpose, the Texas Workforce Commission may, but is not required
  to, implement a provision of this Act using other appropriations
  available for that purpose.
         SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.