SRC-HRD S.B. 1491 75(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1491
By: Ellis
Finance
4-4-97
As Filed


DIGEST 

The federal Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 requires states to provide
20 hours of work activities for 25 percent of their public assistance
recipients in fiscal year 1997.  Work participation requirements will
increase 5 percent each year until 2002.  In five years states must have
50 percent of welfare recipients working at least 30 hours a week--about
88,000 Texans by current enrollment figures. 

The federal welfare law defines eligible work activities as unsubsidized
employment, subsidized private or public employment, work experience,
on-the-job training, job search and job readiness activities, community
service programs, vocational education programs, job skills training and
satisfactory attendance of secondary school (for recipients who have not
completed high school).   

S.B. 1491 establishes the self-sufficiency fund for use by public
community colleges, technical colleges and community-based organizations
to develop job-training programs for certain recipients of public
assistance.  In addition, this bill requires the programs to be
specifically designed to enable the recipients of public assistance to
find and apply for existing jobs. 

PURPOSE

As proposed, S.B. 1491 creates the self-sufficiency fund for use by public
community and technical colleges and community-based organizations as
start-up or emergency funds to develop customized job-training programs
for certain recipients of financial assistance. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is granted to the Texas Workforce Commission under
SECTION 1 (Section 308.002, Labor Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

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

Sec. 308.001.  SELF-SUFFICIENCY FUND.  Provides that, subject to the
availability of funds, the self-sufficiency fund is created outside the
state treasury for use by public community and technical colleges and
community-based organizations as start-up or emergency funds to develop
customized job-training programs for certain recipients of financial
assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code.  Requires the programs
to be specifically designed to enable the recipients to find and apply for
existing jobs.  Requires the Texas Workforce Commission (commission) to
administer the self-sufficiency fund. Provides that the executive
director, or a person appointed by the executive director who is
knowledgeable in the administration of grants, is responsible for the
distribution of money from the fund.  Requires, to the greatest extent
possible, money from the self-sufficiency fund to be spent in all areas of
the state.  Defines "community-based organization." 

Sec. 308.002.  RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.  Requires the commission to adopt
rules to implement this chapter, including rules to determine which
recipients of financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code,
are eligible to participate in job-training programs developed with money
from the self-sufficiency fund. 
 
SECTION 2. Emergency clause.
  Effective date: upon passage.