85R10025 KSD-F     By: Ashby H.B. No. 2994       A BILL TO BE ENTITLED   AN ACT   relating to workforce continuing education offered by public junior   colleges.          BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:          SECTION 1.  Chapter 130, Education Code, is amended by   adding Subchapter L to read as follows:   SUBCHAPTER L.  WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION          Sec. 130.301.  DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:                (1)  "Adult" means a person who:                      (A)  is 17 years of age and has been awarded a high   school diploma or its equivalent; or                      (B)  is 18 years of age or older, regardless of the   person's previous educational experience.                (2)  "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher   Education Coordinating Board.                (3)  "Workforce continuing education" means a program   of instruction that:                      (A)  is designed primarily for adults; and                      (B)  is intended, on completion by a participant,   to prepare the participant to qualify to apply for and accept an   employment offer or a job upgrade within a specific occupational   category or to bring the participant's knowledge or skills up to   date on new developments in a particular occupation or profession.                (4)  "Workforce continuing education course" means a   course of instruction in workforce continuing education that is   approved by the coordinating board.          Sec. 130.302.  FORMULA FUNDING FOR WORKFORCE CONTINUING   EDUCATION COURSES.  Notwithstanding Section 130.003 or any other   law, contact hours attributable to the enrollment of a student in a   workforce continuing education course offered by a public junior   college shall be included in the contact hours used to determine the   college's proportionate share of state money appropriated and   distributed to public junior colleges under Sections 130.003 and   130.0031, regardless of whether:                (1)  the course is taken by a student who is not an   adult under Section 130.303; or                (2)  the college waives all or part of the tuition or   fees for the course under Section 130.304.          Sec. 130.303.  WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HIGH   SCHOOL STUDENTS.  A public junior college may enter into an   agreement with a school district, organization, or other person   that operates a high school to offer workforce continuing education   courses to persons enrolled in a high school who are at least 16   years of age on the census date of the applicable course. For   purposes of this section and Section 130.304, a person who is   enrolled in a school that is not formally organized as a high school   is considered to be enrolled in high school.          Sec. 130.304.  WAIVER OF TUITION AND FEES FOR CERTAIN   WORKFORCE CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES. A public junior college   may waive all or part of the tuition or fees charged to a student for   a workforce continuing education course if:                (1)  the student:                      (A)  is enrolled in high school;                      (B)  is 16 years of age or older, has had the   disabilities of minority removed, and is not enrolled in secondary   education; or                      (C)  is under the age of 18 and is incarcerated;                (2)  all or a significant portion of the college's costs   for facilities, instructor salaries, equipment, and other expenses   for the course are covered by business, industry, or other local   public or private entities; or                (3)  the course is taught in a federal correctional   facility and the facilities, equipment, supplies, and other   expenses for the course are funded by the federal government.          Sec. 130.305.  RULES.  The coordinating board shall adopt   any rules the coordinating board considers necessary for the   administration of this subchapter. In adopting those rules, the   coordinating board shall use the negotiated rulemaking procedures   under Chapter 2008, Government Code.          SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.