BILL ANALYSIS


                                                        H.B. 1180
                                        By: Turner, S. (West, R.)
                                                 Criminal Justice
                                                         05-22-95
                              Senate Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND

Existing legislation provides employment services through workforce
development centers throughout the state for students, workers, and
employers.  Employment services for persons released from the state
prison system are primarily conducted by Project Rio, a Texas
Employment Commission program.  Currently, no legislation exists
which requires cooperation between local workforce developmental
boards and state agencies.

PURPOSE

As proposed, H.B. 1180 provides for increased cooperation between
various programs and agencies in support of employment services to
former inmates.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is granted
to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Council
on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness in SECTION 4 (Section
497.094, Government Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 5.01, Article 5190.7a, V.T.C.S.
(Workforce and Economic Competitiveness Act), to require a local
workforce development board to establish workforce development
centers accessible to students, workers, persons formerly sentenced
to the institutional division or the state jail division of the
Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and employers
throughout the workforce development area.  Makes conforming
changes.

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 217, Labor Code, by adding Section
217.007, as follows:

     Sec. 217.007.  PROVISION OF INFORMATION ON STATE SERVICES FOR
     EX-OFFENDERS AND EMPLOYERS.  (a)  Sets forth the information
     the Texas Employment Commission (commission) through Project
     Rio is required to provide to assist in the reintegration into
     the labor force of persons formerly sentenced to the
     institutional division or the state jail division of TDCJ.
     
     (b)  Sets forth the agencies with whom the commission is
       required to adopt a memorandum of understanding that
       established the respective responsibilities of the
       commission and the agencies in providing information
       described by Subsection (a) to persons formerly sentenced to
       TDCJ facilities, to employers or potential employers of
       those persons, and to local workforce development boards.
       
       (c)  Requires the commission to coordinate the development
       of the memoranda of understanding and to prepare an annual
       report describing the number of ex-offenders in the
       preceding year receiving services under each memorandum. 
       Requires the commission to file a copy of the annual report
       with the governor's office.
       
SECTION 3. Amends Section 481.158, Government Code, to make a
conforming change.

SECTION 4. Amends Section 497.094, Government Code, to require TDCJ
and the Council on Workforce and Economic Competitiveness, by rule,
to adopt a memorandum of understanding that establishes the
respective responsibility of those entities to provide through
local workforce development boards job training and employment
assistance to persons formerly sentenced to the institutional
division or the state jail division and information on services
available to employers or potential employers of those persons. 
Requires TDCJ to coordinate the development of the memorandum of
understanding.  Makes a conforming change.

SECTION 5. Amends Sections 13(a) and (c), Article 42.131, Code of
Criminal Procedure, to authorize a department, with the assistance
of the commission, the Council on Workforce and Economic
Competitiveness, local workforce development boards, rather than
public school districts, community and public junior colleges,
public and private institutions of higher education, to establish
a developmental program for a defendant under the supervision of
the department on the basis of information obtained in the
presentence investigation report prepared for the defendant.  Makes
conforming changes.

SECTION 6. Emergency clause.
           Effective date: upon passage.