BILL ANALYSIS

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Many organizations that serve to reintegrate veterans into civilian life often struggle to meet the financial needs to provide vocational training. The Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE) grant program provides grants to eligible nonprofit workforce intermediary and job training organizations to develop, support, and expand programs that prepare low-income students to enter careers in high-demand and significantly higher-earning occupations. Nonprofit organizations providing job training to certain veterans, however, are not eligible recipients of the ACE grant program. H.B. 626 would expand eligible grant recipients to include nonprofit organizations that serve veterans and meet certain criteria including job training, services aiding the employment of program participants, and providing matching funds.

(Original Author's/Sponsor's Statement of Intent)

C.S.H.B. 626 amends current law relating to the expansion of the Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE) Grant Program to include certain nonprofit organizations providing job training to veterans.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 136.001, Education Code, by adding Subdivision (5) to define "veteran" for purposes of Chapter 136 (Texas Innovative Adult Career Education Grant Program).

SECTION 2. Amends Section 136.005, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 136.005. TEXAS INNOVATIVE ADULT CAREER EDUCATION (ACE) GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the governing body of a certain junior college district (grant administrator) to establish and administer the Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE) Grant Program to provide grants to:

(1) creates this subdivision from existing text and makes a nonsubstantive change; and

(2) eligible nonprofit organizations providing job training to veterans.

(a-1) Creates this subsection from existing text and makes no further changes.

(b) Authorizes grants to be awarded under Chapter 136 from the ACE Grant fund only to develop, support, or expand programs of eligible nonprofit workforce intermediary and job training organizations and of eligible nonprofit organizations providing job training to veterans to prepare low-income students or veterans, as applicable, to enter careers in high-demand and significantly higher-earning occupations.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 136.006, Education Code, by adding Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b), as follows:

(a-1) Requires a nonprofit organization providing job training services to veterans, to be eligible for a grant under the program, to:

(1) apply to the grant administrator in the manner prescribed by the grant administrator;

(2) provide to veterans, in partnership with public junior colleges, public state colleges, or public technical institutes, job training and a continuum of services designed to move a program participant from application to employment, including outreach, assessment, case management, support services, and career placement;

(3) be governed by a board or other governing structure that includes recognized leaders of broad-based community organizations and executive-level or managerial-level members of the local business community;

(4) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the program advisory board that the organization's program has achieved or will achieve the following measures of success among program participants:

(A) the measures prescribed by Subsections (a)(4) (A)-(C);

(B)� rapid attainment of civilian workforce credentials; and

(C) entry into careers with significantly higher earnings for program participants than previously achieved; and

(5) provide matching funds in accordance with rules adopted under this chapter.

(b) Authorizes the matching funds required under Subsection (a)(5) or (a-1)(5), rather than under Subsection (a)(5), to be obtained from any source available to the organization, including in-kind contributions, community or foundation grants, individual contributions, and local governmental agency operating funds. Authorizes the grant administrator to adopt rules requiring an organization to demonstrate compliance with the matching funds requirement before the payment of the next installment under an awarded grant.

SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2021.