By:  Ellis                                            S.B. No. 1688

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

                                       AN ACT

 1-1     relating to a preference given to bidders who hire recipients of

 1-2     financial assistance and services.

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

 1-4           SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 2155, Government Code, is

 1-5     amended by adding Section 2155.449 to read as follows:

 1-6           Sec. 2155.449.  PREFERENCE FOR BIDDERS WHO HIRE RECIPIENTS OF

 1-7     FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.  (a)  Except as provided in Subsection (c),

 1-8     the commission and state agencies shall give preference to a bidder

 1-9     who has received a tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human

1-10     Resources Code, if the voucher covers at least one employee who has

1-11     also:

1-12                 (1)  been hired by the bidder no more than one calendar

1-13     year before the date the bid is received by the commission or the

1-14     state agency;

1-15                 (2)  been employed by the bidder for at least 30 days

1-16     at the time the bid is received by the commission or the state

1-17     agency; and

1-18                 (3)  worked for the bidder an average of 20 hours per

1-19     week or more for the four weeks before the bid is received by the

1-20     commission or the state agency.

1-21           (b)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), the commission and

1-22     state agencies shall give preference to a bidder who agrees to:

1-23                 (1)  take the steps necessary to become eligible for a

 2-1     tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human Resources Code; and

 2-2                 (2)  hire at least one recipient of financial

 2-3     assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, to

 2-4     work for an average of 20 hours per week or more.

 2-5           (c)  Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only to a contract

 2-6     awarded through a competitive procurement procedure.

 2-7           (d)  A bidder shall not retaliate against an employee who

 2-8     fails or refuses to reveal whether the employee receives financial

 2-9     assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code.

2-10           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

2-11     applies only to a bidder who responds to a request for proposal, an

2-12     invitation to bid, or another procurement mechanism published on or

2-13     after the effective date of this Act.

2-14           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

2-15     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

2-16     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

2-17     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

2-18     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.