HBA-CBW C.S.H.B. 3300 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 3300 By: Solis, Jim Economic Development 4/27/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Texas economy has diversified significantly over the last two decades. Marked growth in the high tech industry has created a need for employees with advanced academic and technical skills. These new skill demands require higher proportions of individuals with improved academic preparation in foundation subjects like mathematics and science at the secondary and postsecondary levels as well as specialized training and certification. C.S.H.B. 3300 creates the 21st Century Technology College And Careers grant program to strengthen and sustain existing partnerships in each region of the state by providing planning, coordination, and grant funding to participants so that they may better serve the academic and career interests of students and their parents, the workforce needs of employers, and the economic development goals of communities in the 21st century. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 (Section 315.009, Labor Code) of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3300 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish a grant program to assist partnerships in promoting voluntary educational improvement and workforce development opportunities primarily for secondary and postsecondary students if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. The bill requires TWC to award grants to one or more partnerships in each geographic state planning region (region). Each state fiscal year, the bill requires TWC to award a base allocation of $100,000 to one or more partnerships in each region. The bill requires TWC to distribute any additional grant money to partnerships in accordance with an equitable allocation formula that is determined by TWC and based on the amount of matching funds received by TWC from partnership participants in each region. The bill requires a partnership receiving grant money to: _develop certain initiatives to improve the transition from educational institutions to the workforce; _emphasize postsecondary education; _provide students with opportunities to apply their academic work to authentic problems outside of the school environment; _emphasize mathematics, science, engineering, and technology while stressing the importance of all foundation and enrichment curricula; _emphasize high-wage and high-skill jobs; _encourage students to take rigorous academic courses and to complete the recommended high school program; and _emphasize activities that are supportive of and compliant with the essential knowledge and skills curriculum. The bill provides that student participation in an activity sponsored by a partnership is voluntary. The bill requires a partnership to require parental consent in a form and manner prescribed by the local school board as a condition to a student's participation in the activity if an activity sponsored by the partnership requires significant student involvement. The bill prohibits an internship or other job opportunity sponsored by a partnership from displacing existing workers or requiring a student to work excessive or late hours. The bill requires TWC to appoint an interagency advisory committee (committee) to assist TWC in implementing the Act. The bill requires the committee to be composed of one representative each from the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Department of Economic Development, the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness, the Texas Rehabilitation Commission, the Texas Commission for the Blind, and any other state agency TWC considers appropriate. The bill requires a partnership that receives a grant to prepare and deliver to TWC an annual report on the effectiveness of the partnership's activities. The bill requires TWC to adopt rules as necessary to implement the Act. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2002. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3300 modifies the original bill by changing the name of the program from the College and Careers pilot program to the 21 Century Technology College and Careers grant program (program). The substitute requires the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to award grants to one or more partnerships and sets forth provisions for the funding allocated for such grants. The substitute requires a partnership receiving grant money to meet certain criteria. The substitute sets forth provisions regarding safeguards for students while participating in the program. The substitute requires TWC to appoint an interagency advisory committee (committee) to assist TWC in implementing the Act and requires the committee to be composed of representatives from certain state agencies. The substitute requires a partnership that receives a grant to prepare and deliver to TWC an annual report on the effectiveness of the partnership's activities. The substitute removes provisions requiring TWC to report its implementation of the pilot program. The substitute removes provisions pertaining to the longterm funding of the pilot program. The substitute sets forth the purpose and construction of the bill, sets forth definitions for "partnership" and "region," and modifies the definition of "participant." The substitute prohibits the Act from being construed to provide a partnership with any regulatory authority or control over a decision of a state or local agency or an institution of higher education regarding the implementation of a partnership initiative. The substitute requires TWC to implement the Act only if the legislature appropriates money specifically for that purpose. The substitute modifies the effective date of the Act.