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. 2-24 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1 2-25 Amend SB 1114 as follows: On page 1, lines 4-9, strike 3-1 subsection (a) and substitute the following: 3-2 SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The Texas Workforce 3-3 Commission by rule shall develop a "wheels for work" pilot program 3-4 in four sites to make donated cars available at a low cost to 3-5 certain persons who receive financial assistance under Chapter 31, 3-6 Human Resources Code, to enable those persons to find and maintain 3-7 employment. The commission shall determine the pilot sites, with 3-8 at least one site in an urban area and at least one site in a rural 3-9 area. 3-10 Yarbrough