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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to off-campus workforce education or lower-division |
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programs offered by a public institution of higher education at the |
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request of an employer. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.981 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.981. OFF-CAMPUS WORKFORCE EDUCATION OR |
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LOWER-DIVISION PROGRAMS REQUESTED BY EMPLOYERS. An institution of |
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higher education may enter into an agreement with an employer to |
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provide a credit or noncredit off-campus workforce education or |
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lower-division program to the institution's students at a site |
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requested by the employer without the approval of a higher |
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education regional council established under Subchapter N, |
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regardless of whether the site at which the program would be offered |
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is located within the institution's uniform state service region |
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or, if the institution is a public junior college, within the junior |
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college district's service area, if: |
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(1) the employer has solicited an agreement to offer |
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the program at that site with another institution of higher |
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education that offers the same or substantially equivalent |
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coursework as that requested by the employer; |
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(2) the proposed site for the off-campus program is |
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located within the uniform state service region in which the |
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institution described by Subdivision (1) is located or, if the |
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institution is a public junior college, within the junior college |
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district's service area; and |
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(3) the institution of higher education described by |
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Subdivision (1) does not finalize an offer to enter into an |
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agreement with the employer that meets the employer's |
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specifications for the off-campus program within six weeks after |
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the employer's initial written solicitation requesting the |
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institution to offer the program. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.981, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |