HBA-MPM H.B. 1626 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1626 By: Oliveira Higher Education 2/25/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, public junior colleges and public technical institutes in areas of low per-capita income or property wealth receive no special funding for facilities and equipment, despite their growing enrollment as a result of welfare-to-work mandates, shifting industries, and new technological demands in the workplace. H.B. 1626 establishes the Public Junior College and Technical Institute Facilities and Equipment Grant Program to provide funding to eligible institutions. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Higher Education Board in SECTION 1 (Section 61.853, Education Code) of this bill. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 61, Education Code, by adding Subchapter T, as follows: SUBCHAPTER T. PUBLIC JUNIOR COLLEGE AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT GRANT PROGRAM Sec. 61.851. DEFINITION. Defines "institution" as a public junior college or a public technical institute as defined by Section 61.003, which defines "public junior college" as any junior college certified by the board in accordance with Section 61.063, (Listing and Certification of Junior Colleges), Education Code, and "public technical institute" as the Texas State Technical College System. Sec. 61.852. PROGRAM NAME AND PURPOSE. Establishes the Public Junior College and Technical Institute Facilities and Equipment Grant Program (program) and sets forth its purpose. Sec. 61.853. ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY. Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (board) to administer the program and authorizes the board to adopt rules necessary to administer this subchapter. Sec. 61.854. GRANT PROCEEDS. Authorizes a grant to be used by a grant recipient for construction, maintenance, improvement, or renovation of facilities of the recipient; or equipment to be used by the recipient. Sec. 61.855. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. Provides that an institution must apply for a grant under the program on a form provided or approved by the board and meet any other reasonable requirements established by board rule. Sec. 61.856. AWARD OF GRANT. Authorizes the board to award a grant to an eligible institution that has demonstrated a need for a training program in the community the institution serves. Requires the board to award grants on a competitive basis, and when assessing a grant application, to consider certain factors. Sec. 61.857. APPLICATION REVIEW. Requires the board to adopt application procedures and deadlines for the program and to approve or deny each application no later than the 45th day after the application deadline. Sec. 61.858. FUNDING. Provides that the fund is an account in the general revenue fund, and that money in the fund may be used only for the purposes of this subchapter. Authorizes the board to solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source and requires the board to deposit these to the credit of the fund. Provides that grants are payable from the money in the fund established by this section or from money appropriated by the legislature for that purpose. Sec. 61.859. ANNUAL REPORT. Requires the board to submit to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of representatives a report detailing the amount of each grant awarded for the preceding year, as well as the grant recipient and projects for which the grant was awarded, no later than November 1 of each year. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. SECTION 3. Emergency clause.