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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. Chapter 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 address the immediate |
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industrial workforce needs of this 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 recognized as an apprenticeable occupation by the Office |
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of Apprenticeship of the United States Department of Labor. |
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(2) "Person" does not include a governmental entity. |
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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 programs in this state. Under |
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the program, the office shall provide grants for persons who meet |
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the requirements of 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) money appropriated by the legislature for the fund |
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for purposes described by this subchapter; |
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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. To be |
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eligible to receive a grant under this section, a person must: |
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(1) if the person is an entity, be in good standing |
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under the laws of the state in which the person was formed or |
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organized, as evidenced by a certificate issued by the secretary of |
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state or the state official of another state having custody of the |
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records pertaining to a person formed or organized under the laws of |
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that state; |
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(2) not owe delinquent taxes to a taxing unit of this |
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state; and |
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(3) have in place an apprenticeship program that: |
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(A) provides on-the-job training under an |
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industry-recognized, accredited training curriculum; |
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(B) guarantees employment for participants |
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during and on completion of the training period; |
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(C) pays each participant at least $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 on |
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completion of the training period; |
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(D) requires participants to advance their |
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skills, at a minimum, to a credentialed mid-level status in the |
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field related to the apprenticeship program; |
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(E) has a duration of not less than 16 weeks and |
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not more than 26 weeks; and |
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(F) gives preference to training and hiring: |
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(i) unemployed Texans who have filed with |
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the Texas Workforce Commission; |
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(ii) veterans of the United States armed |
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forces; |
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(iii) formerly incarcerated individuals; |
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and |
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(iv) underemployed individuals who are |
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working without industry-recognized certifications or other |
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credentials. |
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Sec. 481.606. LIMITATIONS ON GRANT AMOUNT AND USE. The |
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amount of a grant awarded under this chapter may not exceed $10,000 |
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per apprenticeship program participant and may be used only to |
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reimburse the cost of training, not including wages and benefits. |
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Sec. 481.607. REQUIREMENTS; GRANT AWARD. (a) The office |
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shall distribute the grant funds as a reimbursement for training |
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costs incurred by grant recipients in accordance with Section |
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481.606. |
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(b) Before awarding a grant to a person under this section, |
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the office must determine that a sufficient number of |
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apprenticeship program participants have: |
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(1) completed the program and achieved the training |
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requirements specified by Section 481.605(3)(D); and |
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(2) maintained available and suitable employment for a |
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period of not less than six months cumulatively after completion of |
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the apprenticeship program. |
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(c) The executive director by rule may develop the criteria |
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for making the determinations required by Subsection (b). |
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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 the rules on its Internet website. |
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Sec. 481.609. ANNUAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December |
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1 of each year, the office shall submit to the lieutenant governor, |
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the speaker of the house of representatives, and the members of the |
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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 grant recipient |
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created in this state in each job category of the federal Equal |
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Employment Opportunity Commission's job classification guide; |
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(2) the median wage of the jobs each grant recipient |
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created in this state; |
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(3) the total amount of each grant awarded to a grant |
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recipient; and |
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(4) the number and categorization of apprenticeship |
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program participants trained and employed by each grant recipient |
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under Section 481.605(3)(F). |
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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 grant recipient under Section |
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481.607 to submit, on a form provided by the office, information |
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required to complete the report. |
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(d) The office shall post the annual report on its Internet |
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website. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |