Bill Text: TX HB433 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Higher Education and Corrections Council.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [HB433 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB433-Introduced.html
| 89R3329 KJE-D | ||
| By: Bucy | H.B. No. 433 | |
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| relating to the establishment of the Higher Education and | ||
| Corrections Council. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subtitle B, Title 3, Education Code, is amended | ||
| by adding Chapter 64 to read as follows: | ||
| CHAPTER 64. HIGHER EDUCATION AND CORRECTIONS COUNCIL | ||
| SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS | ||
| Sec. 64.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
| (1) "Career school or college" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 132.001. | ||
| (2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
| Education Coordinating Board. | ||
| (3) "Council" means the Higher Education and | ||
| Corrections Council. | ||
| (4) "Department" means the Texas Department of | ||
| Criminal Justice. | ||
| (5) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning | ||
| assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| SUBCHAPTER B. ESTABLISHMENT OF COUNCIL | ||
| Sec. 64.051. ESTABLISHMENT. The Higher Education and | ||
| Corrections Council is established to help coordinate and make | ||
| recommendations to the coordinating board and the department | ||
| regarding educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals. | ||
| Sec. 64.052. COUNCIL MEMBERS. (a) The council consists of | ||
| the following 11 members: | ||
| (1) a member of the house of representatives appointed | ||
| by the speaker of the house of representatives; | ||
| (2) a member of the senate appointed by the lieutenant | ||
| governor; | ||
| (3) the following members appointed by the | ||
| commissioner of higher education: | ||
| (A) an employee of the coordinating board; | ||
| (B) an employee of a career school or college; | ||
| (C) an employee of an institution of higher | ||
| education; | ||
| (D) a researcher who studies higher education in | ||
| correctional facilities; | ||
| (E) a formerly incarcerated individual who | ||
| participated in higher education programs while incarcerated in a | ||
| prison in this state; and | ||
| (F) the executive director of a nonprofit | ||
| organization engaged in criminal justice work in this state or the | ||
| executive director's designee; | ||
| (4) the executive director of the department or the | ||
| executive director's designee; | ||
| (5) an employee of the department appointed by the | ||
| executive director of the department; and | ||
| (6) the executive director of the Texas Workforce | ||
| Commission or the executive director's designee. | ||
| (b) A council member serves at the will of the appointing | ||
| authority. | ||
| Sec. 64.053. MEMBER TERMS. Council members serve staggered | ||
| two-year terms, with six members' terms expiring February 1 of each | ||
| odd-numbered year and five members' terms expiring February 1 of | ||
| each even-numbered year. | ||
| Sec. 64.054. VACANCY. A vacancy on the council is filled in | ||
| the same manner as the initial appointment. | ||
| Sec. 64.055. CO-CHAIRS. The council members appointed by | ||
| the speaker of the house of representatives and the lieutenant | ||
| governor serve as co-chairs of the council. | ||
| Sec. 64.056. COMPENSATION; REIMBURSEMENT. A council member | ||
| is not entitled to compensation or reimbursement of expenses | ||
| incurred in performing council duties. | ||
| SUBCHAPTER C. DUTIES OF COUNCIL | ||
| Sec. 64.101. GENERAL DUTIES. The council shall: | ||
| (1) coordinate, facilitate, and support the delivery | ||
| of higher education in correctional facilities in this state to | ||
| prepare incarcerated individuals for integration and productive | ||
| employment on release; | ||
| (2) explore and make recommendations for the efficient | ||
| and effective delivery of higher education programs to incarcerated | ||
| individuals, including: | ||
| (A) evidence-based practices and technologies; | ||
| (B) methods of maximizing and facilitating | ||
| access to educational programs; | ||
| (C) methods of supporting and facilitating | ||
| timely completion of courses and certificate and degree programs; | ||
| (D) methods of emphasizing educational programs | ||
| that: | ||
| (i) align with current and future workforce | ||
| demands in this state; | ||
| (ii) lead to occupations that are | ||
| accessible to formerly incarcerated individuals; | ||
| (iii) provide sustainable wages after | ||
| release; and | ||
| (iv) maximize accessibility and timely | ||
| completion during incarceration; | ||
| (E) use of cross-institutional coursework | ||
| application toward certificate and degree programs; | ||
| (F) use of coursework that encourages personal | ||
| and civic development; and | ||
| (G) methods of leveraging innovative course | ||
| delivery, including technology resources; | ||
| (3) explore methods and make recommendations for the | ||
| collection and analysis of critical data regarding: | ||
| (A) enrollment and completion of higher | ||
| education courses, credentials, and certificate and degree | ||
| programs; | ||
| (B) federal and state student aid awarded to | ||
| incarcerated individuals; | ||
| (C) costs of higher education in correctional | ||
| facilities, including any recommendations for continued | ||
| improvement; and | ||
| (D) outcomes of formerly incarcerated | ||
| individuals who participated in higher education programming | ||
| during incarceration and are on parole, including recidivism, | ||
| employment, and post-release higher education engagement; and | ||
| (4) make recommendations regarding legislative | ||
| appropriations requests to support the council's purposes and | ||
| objectives. | ||
| Sec. 64.102. REPORT. Not later than November 1 of each | ||
| even-numbered year, the council shall submit to the legislature, | ||
| the coordinating board, and the department a report regarding the | ||
| council's duties under this chapter during the preceding two years | ||
| and any recommendations for legislative or other action. The | ||
| report must include: | ||
| (1) the number of incarcerated individuals enrolled in | ||
| higher education; and | ||
| (2) the number of incarcerated individuals who | ||
| received a certificate or degree. | ||
| SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
| of this Act, the appointing authorities shall make the initial | ||
| appointments required under Section 64.052, Education Code, as | ||
| added by this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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, 2025. | ||
