By:  Ellis, West, Zaffirini                           S.B. No. 1114

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to the establishment of a "wheels for work" pilot program

 1-2     to assist certain recipients of AFDC.

 1-3           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-4           SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Workforce

 1-5     Commission by rule shall develop a "wheels for work" pilot program

 1-6     in a county with a population of more than 2.8 million designed to

 1-7     make donated cars available at a low cost to certain persons who

 1-8     receive financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources

 1-9     Code, to enable those persons to find and maintain employment.

1-10           (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the commission

1-11     shall:

1-12                 (1)  use the Maryland "wheels for work" initiative as a

1-13     model for the pilot program;

1-14                 (2)  ensure that participation in the program is

1-15     limited to persons who have secured employment but are unable to

1-16     accept or retain the employment solely because of a lack of

1-17     transportation;

1-18                 (3)  ensure that a person who donates a car for use in

1-19     the pilot program will receive a charitable donation receipt for

1-20     federal income tax purposes; and

1-21                 (4)  set a timetable to implement and complete the

1-22     pilot program.

1-23           (c)  The Texas Department of Human Services shall provide to

 2-1     the commission information as necessary to implement the pilot

 2-2     program and complete the report required by Section 2 of this Act.

 2-3           SECTION 2.  REPORT. Not later than January 15, 2001, the

 2-4     Texas Workforce Commission shall submit to the governor and the

 2-5     77th Legislature a report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot

 2-6     program.

 2-7           SECTION 3.  WAIVER.  If before implementing Section 1 of this

 2-8     Act the Texas Workforce Commission or other state agency determines

 2-9     that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary

2-10     for implementation, the agency shall request the waiver or

2-11     authorization and may delay implementing those provisions until the

2-12     waiver or authorization is granted.

2-13           SECTION 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES.  (a)  This Act

2-14     takes effect September 1, 1997.

2-15           (b)  The Texas Workforce Commission shall establish the pilot

2-16     program required by this Act not later than January 1, 1998.

2-17           SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1,

2-18     2001.

2-19           SECTION 6.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

2-20     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-21     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-22     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-23     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.