By: Ordaz (Senate Sponsor - Blanco) H.B. No. 1703
         (In the Senate - Received from the House May 5, 2023;
  May 8, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Natural
  Resources & Economic Development; May 18, 2023, reported favorably
  by the following vote:  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 18, 2023, sent to
  printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the workforce development evaluation system
  administered by the Texas Workforce Commission, including the
  establishment of a workforce development career education and
  training evaluation pilot program.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 302.001, Labor Code, is amended by
  amending Subdivision (1) and adding Subdivision (1-a) to read as
  follows:
               (1)  "Career education and training program" has the
  meaning assigned by Section 2308A.001, Government Code.
               (1-a) "Director" means the director of the division.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is
  amended by adding Section 302.0201 to read as follows:
         Sec. 302.0201.  WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CAREER EDUCATION AND
  TRAINING EVALUATION PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The commission shall
  establish and administer a pilot program in the Borderplex
  workforce development area under which the local workforce
  development board serving that area is required to collect and
  evaluate cross-sectional data and longitudinal supplemental data
  regarding career education and training programs administered in
  that area for the purposes of identifying:
               (1)  successful program components; and
               (2)  any gaps in data used to follow up on career
  education and training program participants following program
  completion maintained by the commission, the Texas Education
  Agency, or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under the
  Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative established under Chapter 2308A,
  Government Code.
         (b)  Under the pilot program, the commission shall ensure
  that the local workforce development board serving the workforce
  development area maintains the following information for each
  career education and training program participant following
  program completion, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, income,
  and location:
               (1)  the evaluation data described by Section
  302.082(b); and 
               (2)  data regarding the attainment of employment paying
  a self-sufficient wage, as determined under Section 2308A.012,
  Government Code.
         (c)  On completion of the pilot program, the local workforce
  development board serving the workforce development area, in
  coordination with the commission, shall issue an analysis, by
  occupation and by provider, of the job placement performance of
  each career education and training program. The analysis must
  include:
               (1)  an analysis of the attainment of employment paying
  a self-sufficient wage, as determined under Section 2308A.012,
  Government Code, following program completion; and
               (2)  detailed information on the services provided with
  each offered program.
         (d)  The commission may share individual-level outcome
  information resulting from the pilot program with state agencies
  represented on the council through secure means that may be
  accessed only by authorized employees of those agencies.
         (e)  Not later than December 1, 2028, the commission shall
  submit to the legislature a written report on the results of the
  pilot program. The report must include the commission's
  recommendation on whether the pilot program should be continued on
  a statewide basis.
         (f)  This section expires September 1, 2029.
         SECTION 3.  Section 302.082, Labor Code, is amended by
  amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsection (d) to read
  as follows:
         (b)  Evaluation data in the system must include the following
  information disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, income, and
  location:
               (1)  placement rates;
               (2)  wages paid;
               (3)  retention in employment statistics;
               (4)  the number of education and training-related
  placements; and
               (5)  other appropriate factors, including public
  welfare dependency and the pursuit of additional education.
         (c)  The commission may develop a method for collecting
  occupational information to supplement wage record information
  collected by the commission under Section 204.0025. The commission
  may request employers, providers, and other appropriate sources to
  provide placement, employment, and earnings information to the
  commission.
         (d)  The commission shall ensure that:
               (1)  the system includes with the evaluation data a
  hyperlink to an Internet website where self-sufficient wage data as
  determined under Section 2308A.012, Government Code, is posted; and
               (2)  following any modernization of the evaluation
  system by the commission on or after September 1, 2023, the
  evaluation data in the system includes a comparison of
  self-sufficient wage data with program earnings outcomes at the
  first, third, and fifth anniversary of the date of program
  completion.
         SECTION 4.  Section 302.083, Labor Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (a-1) to read as follows:
         (a-1)  Following any modernization of the evaluation system
  by the commission on or after September 1, 2023, an analysis issued
  under Subsection (a) must include:
               (1)  an analysis regarding the attainment of employment
  paying a self-sufficient wage, as determined under Section
  2308A.012, Government Code, following completion of a career
  education and training program; and
               (2)  detailed information on the services provided with
  each offered program.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
 
  * * * * *