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            |  | AN ACT | 
         
            |  | relating to a report by the Texas Workforce Commission regarding | 
         
            |  | apprenticeship opportunities in this state for emerging and | 
         
            |  | high-demand industries. | 
         
            |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
         
            |  | SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is | 
         
            |  | amended by adding Section 302.0191 to read as follows: | 
         
            |  | Sec. 302.0191.  REPORT ON AVAILABLE APPRENTICESHIPS.  (a) | 
         
            |  | In this section: | 
         
            |  | (1)  "Apprenticeship program" includes: | 
         
            |  | (A)  an industry-recognized training program, as | 
         
            |  | defined by Section 302.252; and | 
         
            |  | (B)  an apprenticeship training program, as | 
         
            |  | defined by Section 133.001, Education Code. | 
         
            |  | (2)  "Emerging and high-demand industry" means an | 
         
            |  | industry or occupation described by the report required under | 
         
            |  | Section 302.019. | 
         
            |  | (b)  Not later than September 1 of each year, the commission | 
         
            |  | shall, in consultation with each local workforce development board, | 
         
            |  | prepare and submit to the legislature a report on available | 
         
            |  | apprenticeship programs in this state and make recommendations to | 
         
            |  | expand the availability of apprenticeship programs in emerging and | 
         
            |  | high-demand industries. The report must: | 
         
            |  | (1)  include data on: | 
         
            |  | (A)  the total number of active apprenticeship | 
         
            |  | programs, categorized by the industries included in the North | 
         
            |  | American Industry Classification System; | 
         
            |  | (B)  the total number of active apprentices, | 
         
            |  | categorized by the industries included in the North American | 
         
            |  | Industry Classification System; and | 
         
            |  | (C)  the total occupational demand for each | 
         
            |  | industry, categorized by each occupation in the industry for which | 
         
            |  | an apprenticeship program may be established; and | 
         
            |  | (2)  make recommendations to expand available | 
         
            |  | apprenticeship programs for emerging and  high-demand industries | 
         
            |  | with higher employment demand relative to the total number of | 
         
            |  | active apprentices and apprenticeship programs. | 
         
            |  | (c)  The commission may collaborate and consult with the | 
         
            |  | council or the Apprenticeship and Training Advisory Committee, as | 
         
            |  | designated by the council, to develop recommendations for the | 
         
            |  | report under Subsection (b). | 
         
            |  | (d)  The commission shall provide a copy of the report to the | 
         
            |  | council or the Apprenticeship and Training Advisory Committee, as | 
         
            |  | designated by the council, at the same time as the report required | 
         
            |  | under Section 133.006(b), Education Code. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 2.  Not later than September 1, 2024, the Texas | 
         
            |  | Workforce Commission shall prepare and submit the initial report | 
         
            |  | required by Section 302.0191, Labor Code, as added by this Act. | 
         
            |  | SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 4451 was passed by the House on April | 
         
            |  | 28, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 123, Nays 21, 2 present, not | 
         
            |  | voting. | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Chief Clerk of the House | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | 
         
            |  | I certify that H.B. No. 4451 was passed by the Senate on May | 
         
            |  | 21, 2023, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0. | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | ______________________________ | 
         
            |  | Secretary of the Senate | 
         
            |  | APPROVED:  _____________________ | 
         
            |  | Date | 
         
            |  |  | 
         
            |  | _____________________ | 
         
            |  | Governor |