By Eiland H.B. No. 3384 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to a preference given to bidders who hire recipients of 1-3 financial assistance and services. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter H of Chapter 2155, Government Code is 1-6 amended by adding Section 2155.449 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 2155.449. PREFERENCE FOR BIDDERS WHO HIRE RECIPIENTS OF 1-8 FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. (a) Except as provided in Subsection (c), 1-9 the commission and state agencies shall give preference to a bidder 1-10 who has received a tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human 1-11 Resources Code, if the voucher covers at least one employee who has 1-12 also: 1-13 (1) been hired by the bidder no more than one calendar 1-14 year before the date the bid is received by the commission or the 1-15 state agency; 1-16 (2) been employed by the bidder for at least thirty 1-17 days at the time the bid is received by the commission or the state 1-18 agency; and 1-19 (3) worked for the bidder an average of twenty hours 1-20 per week for the six weeks before the bid is received by the 1-21 commission or the state agency. 1-22 (b) Except as provided in Subsection (c), the commission and 2-1 state agencies shall give preference to a bidder who agrees to: 2-2 (1) take the steps necessary to become eligible for a 2-3 tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human Resources Code, and 2-4 (2) hire at least once recipient of financial 2-5 assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, to 2-6 work for an average of twenty hours per week or more. 2-7 (c) Subsection (a) shall apply only to a contract awarded 2-8 through competitive procurement procedure. 2-9 (d) A bidder shall not retaliate against an employee who 2-10 fails or refuses to reveal whether the employee receives financial 2-11 assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code. 2-12 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and 2-13 applies only to a bidder who responds to a request for proposal, an 2-14 invitation to bid, or another procurement mechanism published on or 2-15 after the effective date of this Act. 2-16 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-17 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-18 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-19 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-20 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.