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House Bill 4065 |
House Author: Otto et al. |
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Effective: Vetoed |
Senate Sponsor: Watson |
House Bill 4065 amends the Labor Code to authorize the Texas Workforce Commission to establish a pilot program under which the commission contracts with the Texas Association of Goodwills for the commission to administer grants to reimburse certain qualified workforce community training centers identified by the association for costs associated with the construction of new facilities that provide job training or employment services. The bill sets out the parameters of grant funding and prohibits the total amount of grants awarded under the pilot program from exceeding $3 million. It requires the commission to report to the legislature not later than January 1, 2009, regarding the program's effectiveness in creating and fostering economic development and the commission's recommendation regarding the continuation of the program. The bill's provisions expire September 1, 2009.
Reason Given for Veto: "House Bill No. 4065 would provide the Texas Association of Goodwills up to $3 million in reimbursement for completed construction of new job training facilities; however the state budget gives an inconsistent $1 million to this project.
"This type of project is added special-interest funding that will benefit only Texas Association of Goodwills, which has no true state oversight, nor is it accountable to Texas taxpayers. I support workforce training and the funds that were added to the budget for that purpose; however, the state should not be in the business of constructing facilities for non-state entities. It is also important to note that the state currently has 28 local workforce boards located throughout the state that have facilities that provide job training."