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.