SRC-AAA S.B. 781 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 781
By: Ellis
Finance
3-10-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

Currently, the federal Personal Responsibility and Reconciliation Act of
1996 requires states to provide 20 hours of work activities for 25 percent
of their public assistance recipients in fiscal year 1997.  In five years
states must have 50 percent of welfare recipients working at least 30
hours a week.  This bill creates a Texans Work on-the-job training program
(program) for recipients of public assistance, establishes the Texas
Employment and Training Account to pool business donations to the program,
and directs the Texas Workforce Commission and the Skill Standards Board
to work with participating businesses to develop skills standards for
their training programs. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 781 creates a Texans Work on-the-job training program
(program) for recipients of public assistance, establishes the Texas
Employment and Training Account to pool business donations to the program,
and directs the Texas Workforce Commission and the Skill Standards Board
to work with participating businesses to develop skills standards for
their training programs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Workforce Commission in
Section 1 (Section 308.004, Labor Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Title 4B, Labor Code, by adding Chapter 308, as follows:

CHAPTER 308. TEXANS WORK PROGRAM

Sec. 308.001. DEFINITIONS. Defines "division," "employer," "JOBS training
program," "local workforce development board," "program," "trainee," and
"training course."  

Sec. 308.002. TEXANS WORK PROGRAM.  Provides for the eligibility of the
Texans Work Program (program).  Requires the program to be operated
through courses conducted by participating employers and to offer direct
work experience and skills training.  Requires the program to be offered
in certain areas. 

Se. 308.003. TRAINING COURSES; APPROVAL.  Sets forth requirements and
procedures for each training course. 

Sec. 308.004. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COMMISSION: DIVISION.  Requires the
Texas Workforce Commission (commission) to adopt certain rules to
implement the program and develop guidelines for the approval of employer
training courses.  Requires the Texas Department of Human Services to
provide certain information to the commission and the local workforce
development board. 

Sec. 308.005. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING EMPLOYER.   Sets forth
rights and duties of the employer. 

Sec. 308.006. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF PARTICIPATING TRAINEE. Sets forth
rights  and duties of the trainee.  

Sec. 308.007. ACCOUNT. Sets forth the creation, composition and use of the
Texas employment training account. 

Sec. 308.008. TRAINING STIPEND.  Sets forth requirements and procedures
for a training stipend  for trainees. 

SECTION 2. Amends Chapter 31A, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
31.0037, as follows: 

Sec. 31.0037. EARNED INCOME FROM WORK PROGRAM. Prohibits the Texas
Department of Human Services from considering any income earned by a
recipient of financial assistance under the Texas Work program established
under Chapter 308, Labor Code, for certain purposes. 

SECTION 3. Requires a state agency to request a waiver or authorization
may delay implementing a provision until a waiver or authorization is
granted, if before implementing any provision of this Act, a state agency
determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is
necessary. 

SECTION 4. Makes application of this Act prospective.

SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 1997.

SECTION 6. Emergency clause.