By:  Ellis, West                                      S.B. No. 1263

              Zaffirini

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to requiring the Texas Workforce Commission, local

 1-2     workforce development boards and centers, and certain employers to

 1-3     provide tax assistance to certain individuals and families.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter G, Chapter 2308, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 2308.314 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 2308.314.  TAX ASSISTANCE.  (a)  The Texas Workforce

 1-8     Commission shall provide to individuals who participate in a

 1-9     workforce development program information on the federal earned

1-10     income tax credit for working families.  The commission may assist

1-11     participants in preparing and filing federal income tax forms to

1-12     ensure that a participant who is eligible to receive the tax credit

1-13     obtains the tax credit.  The commission may fulfill its duties

1-14     under this subsection by:

1-15                 (1)  working in conjunction with the Internal Revenue

1-16     Service to make each workforce development center a volunteer

1-17     income tax assistance site during the two months preceding the date

1-18     federal income taxes are due; or

1-19                 (2)  using specially trained staff or volunteers to

1-20     assist in preparing and filing federal income tax forms.

1-21           (b)  The Texas Workforce Commission shall provide information

1-22     on the federal earned income tax credit to an employer who hires a

1-23     welfare recipient under a wage supplementation program.

 2-1           (c)  In addition to providing information under Subsection

 2-2     (a) to an individual who participates in a workforce development

 2-3     program, the Texas Workforce Commission may provide the information

 2-4     to any other person who uses services provided through  a workforce

 2-5     development center.

 2-6           (d)  In this section:

 2-7                 (1)  "Wage supplementation program" means a program

 2-8     under which the state reserves all or part of the amounts that

 2-9     would be payable as benefits to welfare recipients and uses those

2-10     amounts to provide and subsidize jobs for the recipients.

2-11                 (2)  "Welfare recipient" means a person who receives

2-12     financial assistance under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, or

2-13     food stamps under the food stamp program administered under Chapter

2-14     33, Human Resources Code.

2-15           SECTION 2.  Subchapter D, Chapter 301, Labor Code, is amended

2-16     by adding Section 301.067 to read as follows:

2-17           Sec. 301.067.  TAX ASSISTANCE; INFORMATION ON EARNED INCOME

2-18     TAX CREDIT.  (a)  The commission shall work in conjunction with the

2-19     Internal Revenue Service to make certain offices of the commission

2-20     volunteer income tax assistance sites during the two months

2-21     preceding the date federal income taxes are due.

2-22           (b)  In conjunction with the comptroller's office, the

2-23     commission shall use existing resources to distribute information

2-24     and educational materials on the federal earned income tax credit

2-25     provided by the comptroller under Section 403.024, Government Code,

 3-1     as added by Section 6.10, Chapter 655, Acts of the 74th

 3-2     Legislature, 1995, to local workforce development boards and

 3-3     workforce development centers for use in providing federal income

 3-4     tax assistance to persons who participate in workforce development

 3-5     programs.

 3-6           (c)  In addition to providing information under Subsection

 3-7     (b) to a person who participates in a workforce development

 3-8     program, the commission may provide the information to any other

 3-9     person who uses services provided through the commission.

3-10           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

3-11     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

3-12     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

3-13     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

3-14     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,

3-15     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its

3-16     passage, and it is so enacted.