BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 618

By: Dutton

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program provides funding for public schools to purchase equipment for use in career and technical education classes that lead to a certain license, certificate, or degree in a high-demand occupation. Vanguard Academy in the Rio Grande Valley recently built a center for innovation to help students excel in high-demand careers after graduation but remains ineligible for the JET grant program as an open-enrollment charter school system. This eligibility discrepancy creates a funding issue for charter schools that provide these career training opportunities for their students. H.B. 618 seeks to address this issue by authorizing charter schools to participate in the JET grant program.

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. 618 amends the Education Code to extend eligibility to participate in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program to an open-enrollment charter school that has entered into a partnership with a public junior college, public technical institute, or public state college for the purpose of promoting career and technical education or offering dual credit courses to the charter school's students.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2021.