Bill Text: TX HB1370 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishment of the Texas Construction Academy as a residential construction training and high school center for certain public high school students and high school graduates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-01 - Referred to Public Education [HB1370 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB1370-Introduced.html
| 82R6997 CAS-D | ||
| By: Workman | H.B. No. 1370 | |
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| relating to establishment of the Texas Construction Academy as a | ||
| residential construction training and high school center for | ||
| certain public high school students and high school graduates. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 29.191 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 29.191. TEXAS CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY. (a) The agency | ||
| shall establish the Texas Construction Academy as a residential | ||
| training center for high school juniors and seniors who are | ||
| interested in a career in the construction industry. | ||
| (b) The academy must offer: | ||
| (1) a residential program for high school juniors and | ||
| seniors; | ||
| (2) the high school curriculum necessary for high | ||
| school juniors and seniors to graduate from the academy with a high | ||
| school diploma; | ||
| (3) to the greatest extent practicable, training in | ||
| all areas of civil, commercial, residential, and industrial | ||
| construction, including training in the following specific areas: | ||
| (A) installing: | ||
| (i) electrical systems; | ||
| (ii) heating, ventilating, and air | ||
| conditioning systems; | ||
| (iii) plumbing systems; and | ||
| (iv) drywall; | ||
| (B) framing; | ||
| (C) performing concrete work; | ||
| (D) painting and applying other wall or exterior | ||
| building finishes; | ||
| (E) roofing; | ||
| (F) welding; | ||
| (G) pipefitting; | ||
| (H) operating heavy equipment; | ||
| (I) surveying; | ||
| (J) estimating the costs of materials and | ||
| projects; | ||
| (K) managing construction projects, including | ||
| scheduling projects and providing project leadership; and | ||
| (L) ensuring a safe work environment; and | ||
| (4) counseling concerning educational and career | ||
| training opportunities available to students after high school | ||
| graduation. | ||
| (c) To the greatest extent practicable, training under | ||
| Subsection (b) must be provided by requiring students to perform | ||
| construction activities. | ||
| (d) A student who resides anywhere in this state may apply | ||
| for admission to the academy for all or part of a student's junior | ||
| or senior year of high school. The commissioner shall by rule adopt | ||
| a form and procedure for applying for admission to the academy and | ||
| criteria for admission. | ||
| (e) The commissioner shall determine the location of the | ||
| academy based on the need in an area of this state for the type of | ||
| educational environment and program to be provided by the academy | ||
| and the cost of locating the academy in a particular area. In | ||
| making that determination, the commissioner shall include | ||
| consideration of: | ||
| (1) the appropriateness of various rural areas of this | ||
| state as a location for the academy; and | ||
| (2) the availability for use by the academy of a | ||
| facility of a school district or institution of higher education or | ||
| a facility donated by an appropriate private entity. | ||
| (f) The agency shall post on the agency's Internet website | ||
| information concerning the academy, including information | ||
| concerning the location of the academy, the program offered, | ||
| eligibility requirements for admission, and application forms and | ||
| deadlines. | ||
| (g) The agency shall solicit and may accept for use by the | ||
| academy donations of material, equipment, or facilities from a | ||
| public or appropriate private entity. | ||
| (h) During a period when regular academy classes are in | ||
| recess, the academy may enroll high school graduates, especially | ||
| recent high school graduates, in academy courses developed for that | ||
| purpose. The academy may charge reasonable tuition and fees as | ||
| established by commissioner rule to a high school graduate who | ||
| enrolls in an academy course. | ||
| (i) In addition to rules specifically required to be adopted | ||
| by this section, the commissioner shall adopt any other rules | ||
| necessary for the administration of this section. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
| a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
| provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
| Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
| Act takes effect September 1, 2011. | ||
