Bill Text: TX HB553 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of a task force to identify opportunities for academic credit and industry recognition for inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)
Status: (Passed) 2017-06-15 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB553 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB553-Enrolled.html
| H.B. No. 553 | ||
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| relating to the creation of a task force to identify opportunities | ||
| for academic credit and industry recognition for inmates of the | ||
| Texas Department of Criminal Justice. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Chapter 19, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
| Section 19.012 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 19.012. TASK FORCE ON ACADEMIC CREDIT AND INDUSTRY | ||
| RECOGNITION. (a) The Windham School District, in consultation | ||
| with the department, shall establish a task force to review the work | ||
| or other productive activities in which persons confined or | ||
| imprisoned in the department engage. | ||
| (b) The task force is composed of the following 10 members: | ||
| (1) two representatives of the department designated | ||
| by the executive director of the department; | ||
| (2) one representative of the district designated by | ||
| the superintendent of the district; | ||
| (3) one representative of the Texas Higher Education | ||
| Coordinating Board designated by the commissioner of higher | ||
| education; | ||
| (4) one representative of the Texas Workforce | ||
| Commission designated by the executive director of the commission; | ||
| (5) one representative of a private vendor operating a | ||
| correctional facility under a contract with the department, | ||
| appointed by the governor; | ||
| (6) three representatives of public junior colleges, | ||
| as defined by Section 61.003, appointed by the governor, including: | ||
| (A) at least one representative of a public | ||
| junior college that provides education services to persons confined | ||
| or imprisoned in the department; and | ||
| (B) at least one representative of a public | ||
| junior college that does not provide services described by | ||
| Paragraph (A); and | ||
| (7) one representative of a faith-based organization, | ||
| appointed by the governor. | ||
| (c) The governor shall designate a member of the task force | ||
| to serve as presiding officer. | ||
| (d) A vacancy on the task force shall be filled in the same | ||
| manner as the initial appointment. | ||
| (e) The task force may accept gifts and grants from any | ||
| source to be used to carry out a function of the task force. | ||
| (f) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding | ||
| officer. | ||
| (g) The task force shall: | ||
| (1) conduct an ongoing comprehensive review of the | ||
| work or other productive activities in which persons confined or | ||
| imprisoned in the department engage; and | ||
| (2) identify opportunities for the award of high | ||
| school credit, college credit, or joint high school and college | ||
| credit, or the award of an industry-recognized credential or | ||
| certificate, for engaging in that work or activity. | ||
| (h) The district, in consultation with the department, the | ||
| Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
| Board, and the Texas Workforce Commission, shall for any type of | ||
| work or productive activity for which an opportunity is identified | ||
| under Subsection (g), determine the actions necessary for obtaining | ||
| the award of the applicable academic credit or industry | ||
| recognition. | ||
| (i) Not later than September 1, 2021, the task force shall | ||
| submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the speaker of the | ||
| house of representatives, and the standing committees of the | ||
| legislature having jurisdiction over the department a report that | ||
| summarizes the review conducted under Subsection (g) and the | ||
| district's actions with regard to obtaining the award of academic | ||
| credit or industry recognition under Subsection (h). The district | ||
| shall provide the task force with any information necessary to | ||
| complete the report. | ||
| (j) This section expires December 1, 2021. | ||
| SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2017, the executive | ||
| director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the | ||
| superintendent of the Windham School District, the commissioner of | ||
| higher education, the executive director of the Texas Workforce | ||
| Commission, and the governor shall appoint members to the task | ||
| force established by Section 19.012, Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, in the manner required by Subsection (b) of that section. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 553 was passed by the House on May 6, | ||
| 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
| No. 553 on May 26, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 2 | ||
| present, not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 553 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
| amendments, on May 24, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays | ||
| 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
