BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 33

By: Dominguez

Defense & Veterans' Affairs

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are concerns regarding the lack of consolidated information on programs of study or courses for which students may be given credit in career schools or colleges for their applicable military experience, education, and training. H.B. 33 seeks to address this issue by requiring the Texas Workforce Commission to take certain measures to facilitate the award of postsecondary course credit leading to workforce credentialing based on military experience, education, and training, including by listing the applicable programs and courses on its website. 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 33 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to evaluate programs of study or courses offered by career schools or colleges leading to industry‑based certifications or other workforce credentials and identify the programs or courses for which skills obtained through military experience, education, and training frequently align. The bill requires publication, on the applicable website, of a list of the identified programs or courses and the relevant military experience, education, or training.

H.B. 33 requires the TWC, in determining whether to approve a career school or college that offers such a program or course listed on its website, to require that the school or college provide credit to a student toward any required course time for skills obtained by the student through military experience, education, or training, unless the school or college can demonstrate that those skills are not appropriately aligned with the program or course.

H.B. 33 amends the Labor Code to require the TWC, under the college credit for heroes program, to identify, develop, and support methods to facilitate the award of course time credit by career schools or colleges or other private or nonprofit entities that provide programs or courses of this nature to veterans and military servicemembers for the entity's programs or courses for which skills obtained through military experience, education, and training align.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.