1-1     By:  Ellis                                            S.B. No. 1688

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed March 14, 1997; March 24, 1997, read

 1-3     first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;

 1-4     April 18, 1997, reported favorably, as amended, by the following

 1-5     vote:  Yeas 13, Nays 0; April 18, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-6     COMMITTEE AMENDMENT NO. 1                                By:  Ellis

 1-7     Amend S.B. No. 1688 in SECTION 1 of the bill, in proposed Section

 1-8     2155.449(a), Government Code (page 1, line 30), strike "six" and

 1-9     substitute "four".

1-10                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

1-11                                   AN ACT

1-12     relating to a preference given to bidders who hire recipients of

1-13     financial assistance and services.

1-14           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-15           SECTION 1.  Subchapter H, Chapter 2155, Government Code, is

1-16     amended by adding Section 2155.449 to read as follows:

1-17           Sec. 2155.449.  PREFERENCE FOR BIDDERS WHO HIRE RECIPIENTS OF

1-18     FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.  (a)  Except as provided in Subsection (c),

1-19     the commission and state agencies shall give preference to a bidder

1-20     who has received a tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human

1-21     Resources Code, if the voucher covers at least one employee who has

1-22     also:

1-23                 (1)  been hired by the bidder no more than one calendar

1-24     year before the date the bid is received by the commission or the

1-25     state agency;

1-26                 (2)  been employed by the bidder for at least 30 days

1-27     at the time the bid is received by the commission or the state

1-28     agency; and

1-29                 (3)  worked for the bidder an average of 20 hours per

1-30     week or more for the six weeks before the bid is received by the

1-31     commission or the state agency.

1-32           (b)  Except as provided in Subsection (c), the commission and

1-33     state agencies shall give preference to a bidder who agrees to:

1-34                 (1)  take the steps necessary to become eligible for a

1-35     tax refund voucher under Section 31.072, Human Resources Code; and

1-36                 (2)  hire at least one recipient of financial

1-37     assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code, to

1-38     work for an average of 20 hours per week or more.

1-39           (c)  Subsections (a) and (b) shall apply only to a contract

1-40     awarded through a competitive procurement procedure.

1-41           (d)  A bidder shall not retaliate against an employee who

1-42     fails or refuses to reveal whether the employee receives financial

1-43     assistance and services under Chapter 31, Human Resources Code.

1-44           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997, and

1-45     applies only to a bidder who responds to a request for proposal, an

1-46     invitation to bid, or another procurement mechanism published on or

1-47     after the effective date of this Act.

1-48           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-49     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-50     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-51     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

1-52     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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