BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 2598

By: Gamez

International Relations & Economic Development

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Many Texas employees lack workplace soft skills necessary for the efficient operation of a business or organization. Oftentimes, employees do not have training on workplace etiquette, effective communication, leadership skills, and organizational skills that are typically expected in today's job market. There have been calls to educate the workforce regarding these skills to ensure that Texans are able to operate as efficiently as possible. H.B. 2598 seeks to address these calls by establishing a workplace soft skills pilot program in Cameron County that is administered and evaluated by the Texas Workforce Commission, which will provide a training course and certificate for successful completion to participants.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 2598 amends the Labor Code to require the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to establish and administer a pilot program in Cameron County under which the division of workforce development of TWC does the following:

· offers a six-week training course on workplace soft skills, including workplace ethics and etiquette, effective communication, leadership, organizational skills, and time management; and

· awards a certificate of completion for a participant's successful completion of the training course.

The bill requires TWC by rule to establish curriculum requirements for the pilot program and eligibility criteria for a person to participate in the pilot program.

H.B. 2598 requires TWC, not later than December 1, 2024, to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program at enhancing the workplace soft skills and employment outcomes of participants and report the results of the evaluation to the legislature. The report must include TWC's recommendation on whether the pilot program should be continued on a statewide basis. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2025.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2023.