By Naishtat H.B. No. 1584
76R5994 PB-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to a referral to Project RIO by a local workforce
1-3 development board.
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 2308.3123 to read as follows:
1-7 Sec. 2308.3123. REFERRAL TO PROJECT RIO. (a) In this
1-8 section, "Project RIO" means the project for reintegration of
1-9 offenders established under Chapter 306, Labor Code.
1-10 (b) A board may refer to the Texas Workforce Commission for
1-11 participation in Project RIO a person who:
1-12 (1) was formerly sentenced to the institutional
1-13 division or the state jail division of the Texas Department of
1-14 Criminal Justice;
1-15 (2) fully discharged the person's sentence, including
1-16 any period of parole or mandatory supervision, at least one year
1-17 before the date of the board's referral; and
1-18 (3) completed a job training program administered
1-19 through the board under the local plan adopted under Section
1-20 2308.304.
1-21 SECTION 2. Section 306.007, Labor Code, is amended to read
1-22 as follows:
1-23 Sec. 306.007. PROVISION OF INFORMATION AND [ON STATE]
1-24 SERVICES TO [FOR] EX-OFFENDERS AND EMPLOYERS. (a) To assist in the
2-1 reintegration into the labor force of persons formerly sentenced to
2-2 the institutional division or the state jail division, the
2-3 commission through Project RIO shall provide:
2-4 (1) to those persons:
2-5 (A) information from local workforce development
2-6 boards on job training and employment referral services;
2-7 (B) information from the Texas Commission on
2-8 Alcohol and Drug Abuse on substance abuse treatment services;
2-9 (C) information from the Texas Department of
2-10 Housing and Community Affairs on housing services;
2-11 (D) information from the Texas Veterans
2-12 Commission on services for veterans; and
2-13 (E) information from the Texas Department of
2-14 Human Services on tax refund voucher programs under Subchapter D,
2-15 Chapter 31, Human Resources Code; and
2-16 (2) to the employers and potential employers of those
2-17 persons:
2-18 (A) information from the Texas Department of
2-19 Economic Development [Commerce] on the enterprise zone program and
2-20 smart jobs fund program; and
2-21 (B) information from local workforce development
2-22 boards on services listed in Section 2308.304, Government Code.
2-23 (b) The commission shall adopt a memorandum of understanding
2-24 with each of the following agencies that establishes the respective
2-25 responsibilities of the commission and the agencies in providing
2-26 information described by Subsection (a) to persons formerly
2-27 sentenced to the institutional division or the state jail division
3-1 of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, to employers or
3-2 potential employers of those persons, and to local workforce
3-3 development boards:
3-4 (1) the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse;
3-5 (2) the Texas Department of Housing and Community
3-6 Affairs;
3-7 (3) the Texas Veterans Commission;
3-8 (4) the Texas Department of Human Services;
3-9 (5) the Texas Department of Economic Development
3-10 [Commerce]; and
3-11 (6) the Council on Workforce and Economic
3-12 Competitiveness.
3-13 (c) The commission shall provide to a person referred to the
3-14 project by a local workforce development board under Section
3-15 2308.3123, Government Code, the employment referral services
3-16 provided under Section 306.002 that are offered to participants.
3-17 (d) The commission shall coordinate the development of the
3-18 memoranda of understanding required under Subsection (b) and shall
3-19 prepare an annual report describing the number of ex-offenders in
3-20 the preceding year receiving information services under each
3-21 memorandum and employment referral services under Subsection (c).
3-22 The commission shall file a copy of the annual report with the
3-23 governor's office.
3-24 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
3-25 SECTION 4. The importance of this legislation and the
3-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
3-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.