Senate Bill No. 1728 aims to expand the participation of certain juvenile justice entities in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program. The bill amends Section 134.004 of the Education Code to include the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, juvenile boards, and juvenile probation departments as eligible entities for receiving grants. This inclusion allows these entities to apply for funding to support the development of new career and technical education programs, alongside public junior colleges, technical institutes, state colleges, school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools. The bill also modifies the criteria for grant eligibility, ensuring that these juvenile justice entities can benefit from the program.

Additionally, the bill revises Section 134.006 to allow the commission to award grants specifically for the development of new career and technical education courses or programs at the newly included juvenile justice entities. It emphasizes the importance of considering potential economic returns when awarding grants and introduces new criteria for evaluating programs, including those that provide educational opportunities to students in the Windham School District or those offered in facilities operated by the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. The bill also updates Section 134.007 to clarify that grants can be awarded to independent school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and the newly included juvenile justice entities, thereby broadening the scope of the JET Grant Program.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 134.004, Education Code 134.006, Education Code 134.007 (Education Code 134)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 134.004, Education Code 134.006, Education Code 134.007 (Education Code 134)