Advising Bill’s ‘Breakthrough Program’ Shares A Name With A Nonprofit

The text as introduced · 445 words

By: Bowers
H.B. No. 4893

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the Breakthrough Program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 33, Education Code, is amended by adding

Subchapter H to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER H. BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAM

Sections 33.261, 33.262, 33.263, 33.264, 33.265 and 33.266

Education Code, are added to read as follows:

Sec. 33.261 DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(a) “Breakthrough” means a Postsecondary Advising

Program that supports students who are the first in their families

to pursue and attain a postsecondary certificate or diploma, or

students who are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.

Sec. 33.262. DUTIES OF COMMISSIONER. (a) The commissioner

shall:

(1) coordinate the efforts of the Breakthrough program

with other social service organizations and agencies and with

public school personnel to provide services to students who are at

risk of not completing critical steps to complete high school and

pursue college and career options after graduation;

(2) support the Breakthrough program to establish

performance goals, objectives, and measures for the program,

including performance goals, objectives, and measures that

consider improvement in student:

(A) academic achievement;

(B) promotion, graduation, and retention; and

(C) matriculation into postsecondary education

(3) obtain information to determine accomplishment of

performance goals, objectives, and measures;

(4) help communities that want to participate in the

program establish a local funding base;

(5) provide training and technical assistance for

participating communities and programs;

(6) and adopt policies concerning:

(A) the responsibility of the agency in

Encouraging local businesses to participate in local Breakthrough

programs;

(B) the responsibility of the agency in Obtaining

information from participating programs; and

(C) any other areas concerning the program.

Identified by the commissioner.

(b) The commissioner shall adopt rules to implement the

policies described by Subsection (a)(7) and shall annually update

the rules.

Sec. 33.263. COOPERATION WITH BREAKTHROUGH. (a) The

agency and Breakthrough shall work together to maximize the

effectiveness of the Breakthrough program.

Sec. 33.264. FUNDING. (a) The agency shall support local

Breakthrough programs to develop and implement.

(b) Each local Breakthrough program shall develop a funding

plan which ensures that the level of services is maintained if state

funding is reduced.

(c) A local Breakthrough program may accept federal funds,

state funds, private contributions, grants, and public and school

district funds to support the program.

Sec. 33.265. AGENCY PERFORMANCE OF BREAKTHROUGH FUNCTIONS

REQUIRED. (a) The agency, through the Breakthrough State Office:

(1) must perform each function concerning the

Breakthrough program for which the agency is responsible; and

(2) may not contract with a private entity to perform a

function described by Subdivision (1).

SECTION 33.266. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.