85R10025 KSD-F
 
  By: Ashby H.B. No. 2994
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to workforce continuing education offered by public junior
  colleges.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by
  adding Subchapter L to read as follows:
  SUBCHAPTER L.  WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION
         Sec. 130.301.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:
               (1)  "Adult" means a person who:
                     (A)  is 17 years of age and has been awarded a high
  school diploma or its equivalent; or
                     (B)  is 18 years of age or older, regardless of the
  person's previous educational experience.
               (2)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
  Education Coordinating Board.
               (3)  "Workforce continuing education" means a program
  of instruction that:
                     (A)  is designed primarily for adults; and
                     (B)  is intended, on completion by a participant,
  to prepare the participant to qualify to apply for and accept an
  employment offer or a job upgrade within a specific occupational
  category or to bring the participant's knowledge or skills up to
  date on new developments in a particular occupation or profession.
               (4)  "Workforce continuing education course" means a
  course of instruction in workforce continuing education that is
  approved by the coordinating board.
         Sec. 130.302.  FORMULA FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE CONTINUING
  EDUCATION COURSES.  Notwithstanding Section 130.003 or any other
  law, contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a student in a
  workforce continuing education course offered by a public junior
  college shall be included in the contact hours used to determine the
  college's proportionate share of state money appropriated and
  distributed to public junior colleges under Sections 130.003 and
  130.0031, regardless of whether:
               (1)  the course is taken by a student who is not an
  adult under Section 130.303; or
               (2)  the college waives all or part of the tuition or
  fees for the course under Section 130.304.
         Sec. 130.303.  WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HIGH
  SCHOOL STUDENTS.  A public junior college may enter into an
  agreement with a school district, organization, or other person
  that operates a high school to offer workforce continuing education
  courses to persons enrolled in a high school who are at least 16
  years of age on the census date of the applicable course. For
  purposes of this section and Section 130.304, a person who is
  enrolled in a school that is not formally organized as a high school
  is considered to be enrolled in high school.
         Sec. 130.304.  WAIVER OF TUITION AND FEES FOR CERTAIN
  WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES. A public junior college
  may waive all or part of the tuition or fees charged to a student for
  a workforce continuing education course if:
               (1)  the student:
                     (A)  is enrolled in high school;
                     (B)  is 16 years of age or older, has had the
  disabilities of minority removed, and is not enrolled in secondary
  education; or
                     (C)  is under the age of 18 and is incarcerated;
               (2)  all or a significant portion of the college's costs
  for facilities, instructor salaries, equipment, and other expenses
  for the course are covered by business, industry, or other local
  public or private entities; or
               (3)  the course is taught in a federal correctional
  facility and the facilities, equipment, supplies, and other
  expenses for the course are funded by the federal government.
         Sec. 130.305.  RULES.  The coordinating board shall adopt
  any rules the coordinating board considers necessary for the
  administration of this subchapter. In adopting those rules, the
  coordinating board shall use the negotiated rulemaking procedures
  under Chapter 2008, Government Code.
         SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.