HBA-TYH S.B. 343 76(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisS.B. 343
By: Ellis
Economic Development
4/5/1999
Engrossed



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

The federal Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 requires Texas to provide
work participation requirements for its public assistance recipients.
Community service programs and vocational education programs are defined by
federal law as eligible work activities.  S.B. 343 creates a
selfsufficiency fund to assist certain colleges, community-based
organizations, and state agencies in developing job-training programs. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the Texas Workforce Commission in
SECTION 1 (Section 309.004, Labor Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Subtitle B, Title 4, Labor Code, by adding Chapter 309,
as follows: 

CHAPTER 309.  SELF-SUFFICIENCY FUND

Sec. 309.001.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "community-based organization" and
"fund." 
  
Sec. 309.002.  SELF-SUFFICIENCY FUND.  Creates the self-sufficiency fund as
an account in the general revenue fund for use by public community and
technical colleges, community-based organizations, and state extension
agencies to develop for certain recipients of financial assistance under
Chapter 31 (Financial Assistance And Service Programs), Human Resources
Code, customized job-training programs in which the recipients will be
provided job training by the enumerated entities.  Authorizes money from
the fund to also be used for support services as necessary for participants
to prepare for and participate in training activities and to make the
transition from training activities to employment.  Requires the Texas
Workforce Commission (commission) to administer the fund.  Provides that
the executive director, or a person appointed by the executive director who
is knowledgeable in the administration of grants, is responsible for the
distribution of money from the fund.  Requires money from the fund, to the
greatest extent practicable, to be spent in all areas of the state. 
 
Sec. 309.003.  JOB-TRAINING PROGRAMS.  Provides that a job-training program
financed by the fund must be specifically designed to perform the
enumerated functions and is considered to be a work or employment activity.
Requires an entity receiving money from the fund for a job-training program
to work in conjunction with employers to place graduates of the program in
positions of employment in which the graduates will be earning wages
sufficient to enable the graduates to become independent of financial
assistance, and if applicable, assistance provided under the food stamp
program administered by the Texas Department of Human Services. 
 
Sec. 309.004.  RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.  Requires the commission to adopt
rules to implement this chapter, including rules to determine which
recipients of financial assistance are eligible to participate in
job-training programs developed with money from the fund. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1999.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.