Bill Text: TX HB3125 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a geothermal energy workforce education and training initiative.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-20 - Filed [HB3125 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB3125-Introduced.html
| 89R13422 KSD-D | ||
| By: Guerra | H.B. No. 3125 | |
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| relating to establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of a | ||
| geothermal energy workforce education and training initiative. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 302, Labor Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 302.0085 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 302.0085. GEOTHERMAL ENERGY WORKFORCE EDUCATION AND | ||
| TRAINING INITIATIVE. (a) In this section: | ||
| (1) "Career school or college" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 132.001, Education Code. | ||
| (2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
| Education Coordinating Board. | ||
| (3) "General academic teaching institution," | ||
| "institution of higher education," "public technical institute," | ||
| and "public junior college" have the meanings assigned by Section | ||
| 61.003, Education Code. | ||
| (4) "Initiative" means the geothermal energy | ||
| workforce education and training initiative established under this | ||
| section. | ||
| (b) The commission, in consultation with the coordinating | ||
| board, by rule, shall establish and administer an initiative to | ||
| develop and implement: | ||
| (1) customized education and training programs | ||
| necessary to prepare students for entry into jobs in the geothermal | ||
| energy industry in this state; and | ||
| (2) other strategies to support and incentivize | ||
| education and training opportunities that address skills gaps in | ||
| the geothermal energy workforce in this state. | ||
| (c) Under the initiative, the commission shall: | ||
| (1) in consultation with representatives from the | ||
| coordinating board, general academic teaching institutions, public | ||
| technical institutes, public junior colleges, career schools or | ||
| colleges, and employers in the geothermal energy industry, develop | ||
| customized curriculum requirements for: | ||
| (A) degree or certificate programs to prepare | ||
| students for jobs in the geothermal energy industry that, subject | ||
| to coordinating board approval under Section 61.0512, Education | ||
| Code, may be offered by institutions of higher education; and | ||
| (B) other programs of instruction leading to | ||
| recognized educational credentials to prepare students for jobs in | ||
| the geothermal energy industry that may be offered by career | ||
| schools or colleges; | ||
| (2) identify opportunities to use workforce | ||
| development funding administered by the commission to provide | ||
| financial assistance for geothermal energy workforce training | ||
| programs, subject to any requirements for or restrictions on the | ||
| distribution of those funds; and | ||
| (3) promote and support the creation of partnerships | ||
| between institutions of higher education and geothermal energy | ||
| industry employers in this state under which apprenticeship and | ||
| employment opportunities in the geothermal energy industry are made | ||
| available to students and graduates of the institutions, as | ||
| applicable. | ||
| (d) Not later than September 1 of each year, the commission, | ||
| in consultation with the coordinating board, shall prepare and | ||
| submit to each standing committee of the legislature with primary | ||
| jurisdiction over workforce development, higher education, or | ||
| energy industry matters a report summarizing the commission's | ||
| activities under the initiative. The report may include the | ||
| commission's recommendations for legislative or other action. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
