BILL ANALYSIS
| Senate Research Center | S.B. 1728 |
| 89R10378 CMO-D | By: Perry |
| | Economic Development |
| | 3/20/2025 |
| | As Filed |
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
The Texas Workforce Commission administers the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants to public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state colleges, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools. Grants are awarded to defray the start-up costs associated with the development of new career and technical education (CTE) programs.
In 2021, the legislature added the Windham School District to the list of schools that are eligible to apply for these grants. The Windham School District is the school that serves the adult prison system. However, the education programs that serve the juvenile justice system are still not eligible for grants under the JET Grant Program.
S.B. 1728 ensures that education programs in the juvenile justice system at both the state and local level are eligible to apply for grants under the JET Grant Program. This bill only allows juvenile justice entities to apply for these grants, they are not guaranteed to be awarded the funding. This change is critical because almost all juveniles in the juvenile justice system will eventually return to the community and it is the goal of the state to ensure that these juveniles become productive members of society. Juvenile justice CTE programs have seen great successes and additional funding will only help to bolster these programs.
As proposed, S.B. 1728 amends current law relating to the participation of certain juvenile justice entities in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 134.004, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 134.004. JOBS AND EDUCATION FOR TEXANS (JET) GRANT PROGRAM. (a) Requires the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish and administer the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program to provide grants to certain entities, including the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD), juvenile boards, and juvenile probation departments described under Section 134.007. Requires those entities, to receive the grants, to apply to the advisory board of education and workforce stakeholders (advisory board) in the manner prescribed by the advisory board. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
(b) Makes conforming and nonsubstantive changes to this subsection.
SECTION 2. Amends Sections 134.006(a) and (c), Education Code, as follows:
(a) Makes conforming and nonsubstantive change to this subsection.
(c) Authorizes TWC to also consider whether the new career and technical education course or program:
(1)-(2) makes no changes to these subdivisions;
(3) offers new career and technical educational opportunities not previously available:
(A) creates this paragraph from existing text and makes no further changes; or
(B) as part of any existing educational programs that are offered in facilities operated wholly or partly by TJJD, a juvenile board, or a juvenile probation department, including a facility operated by a private vendor under a contract with TJJD, a juvenile board, or a juvenile probation department; or
(4) makes no changes to this subdivision.
SECTION 3. Amends Section 134.007, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 134.007. New heading: GRANTS AWARDED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOLS, OR CERTAIN JUVENILE JUSTICE ENTITIES. Authorizes TWC to award a grant under Chapter 134 (Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program) to certain entities, including TJJD, a juvenile board, or a juvenile probation department. Makes nonsubstantive changes.
SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2025.
