1-1     By:  Ellis, West, Zaffirini                           S.B. No. 1114

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 11, 1997; March 13, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human Services;

 1-4     March 26, 1997, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 11,

 1-5     Nays 0; March 26, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-7                                   AN ACT

 1-8     relating to the establishment of a "wheels for work" pilot program

 1-9     to assist certain recipients of AFDC.

1-10           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-11           SECTION 1.  PILOT PROGRAM.  (a)  The Texas Workforce

1-12     Commission by rule shall develop a "wheels for work" pilot program

1-13     in a county with a population of more than 2.8 million designed to

1-14     make donated cars available at a low cost to certain persons who

1-15     receive financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources

1-16     Code, to enable those persons to find and maintain employment.

1-17           (b)  In adopting rules under this section, the commission

1-18     shall:

1-19                 (1)  use the Maryland "wheels for work" initiative as a

1-20     model for the pilot program;

1-21                 (2)  ensure that participation in the program is

1-22     limited to persons who have secured employment but are unable to

1-23     accept or retain the employment solely because of a lack of

1-24     transportation;

1-25                 (3)  ensure that a person who donates a car for use in

1-26     the pilot program will receive a charitable donation receipt for

1-27     federal income tax purposes; and

1-28                 (4)  set a timetable to implement and complete the

1-29     pilot program.

1-30           (c)  The Texas Department of Human Services shall provide to

1-31     the commission information as necessary to implement the pilot

1-32     program and complete the report required by Section 2 of this Act.

1-33           SECTION 2.  REPORT.  Not later than January 15, 2001, the

1-34     Texas Workforce Commission shall submit to the governor and the

1-35     77th Legislature a report concerning the effectiveness of the pilot

1-36     program.

1-37           SECTION 3.  WAIVER.  If before implementing Section 1 of this

1-38     Act the Texas Workforce Commission or other state agency determines

1-39     that a waiver or authorization from a federal agency is necessary

1-40     for implementation, the agency shall request the waiver or

1-41     authorization and may delay implementing those provisions until the

1-42     waiver or authorization is granted.

1-43           SECTION 4.  EFFECTIVE DATE AND DEADLINES.  (a)  This Act

1-44     takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-45           (b)  The Texas Workforce Commission shall establish the pilot

1-46     program required by this Act not later than January 1, 1998.

1-47           SECTION 5.  EXPIRATION DATE.  This Act expires September 1,

1-48     2001.

1-49           SECTION 6.  EMERGENCY.  The importance of this legislation

1-50     and the crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-51     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-52     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-53     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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