BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 4279

By: Dominguez

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that allowing the Windham School District, a school district that provides educational services to inmates in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, to receive grants through the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program that will assist the district in accomplishing its mission of creating positive education outcomes for inmates. H.B. 4279 seeks to do so.

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. 4279 amends the Education Code to make the Windham School District eligible for a grant under the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) grant program. The bill authorizes the Texas Workforce Commission, in awarding a grant for the development of new career and technical education courses or programs under the JET grant program, to consider whether the course or program offers new career and technical educational opportunities not previously available to students enrolled at any campus in the Windham School District.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2021.