COORDINATION OF GRANT PROGRAMS FOR SECONDARY AND POSTSECONDARY CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS.

(a) For the establishment, implementation, and expansion of secondary and postsecondary career and technical education programs that are aligned with the state workforce development goals, the agency, coordinating board, and commission shall coordinate the competitive grant programs for those programs, including:

(1) the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program under Chapter 134, Education Code;

(2) the grant program established under the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under Section 29.556, Education Code;

(3) the Texas Reskilling and Upskilling through Education (TRUE) Program established under Subchapter T-2, Chapter 61, Education Code; and

(4) federal career and technical education grant programs, including grant programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. Section 2301 et seq.).

(b) In coordinating grant programs under Subsection (a), the agency, coordinating board, and commission shall jointly:

(1) address career and technical education program startup and delivery costs by aligning two or more grant funding streams;

(2) identify and work to reduce duplication in grant programs across the agency, coordinating board, and commission;

(3) identify opportunities to structure grant funding for career and technical education projects that support secondary-to-postsecondary career pathways, including by providing for career and technical education dual credit or the attainment of postsecondary credentials by secondary students;

(4) identify opportunities to structure grant funding for career and technical education projects that are:

(A) aligned with the attainment of credentials of value, as designated by the coordinating board for purposes of Section 130A.101(c)(1), Education Code; and

(B) designed to meet state workforce needs in high-demand fields; and

(5) to the extent possible, prioritize comprehensive funding of facilities, equipment, instructional materials, and faculty and staff for program development and delivery to best meet the state workforce development goals.