1-1     By:  Christian (Senate Sponsor - Carona)              H.B. No. 2017
 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 14, 1999;
 1-3     May 14, 1999, read first time and referred to Committee on Human
 1-4     Services; May 14, 1999, reported favorably by the following vote:
 1-5     Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 14, 1999, sent to printer.)
 1-6                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-7                                   AN ACT
 1-8     relating to the designation of certain state employees as liaisons
 1-9     to faith-based organizations for the purpose of promoting community
1-10     services for the needy and to the promotion of cooperation and
1-11     coordination among certain organizations by local workforce
1-12     development boards.
1-13           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-14           SECTION 1.  Chapter 21, Human Resources Code, is amended by
1-15     adding Section 21.0061 to read as follows:
1-16           Sec. 21.0061.  LIAISONS TO FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS.  (a)
1-17     The commissioner shall designate one department employee in each of
1-18     the department's administrative regions to serve as a liaison to
1-19     faith-based organizations in the region with the potential ability
1-20     to provide community services for the needy.
1-21           (b)  The commissioner shall ensure that the primary function
1-22     of each employee designated as a liaison under this section is to:
1-23                 (1)  communicate with faith-based organizations
1-24     regarding the need for private community services to benefit
1-25     persons in need of assistance who would otherwise require
1-26     financial or other assistance under public programs administered by
1-27     the department;
1-28                 (2)  promote the involvement of faith-based
1-29     organizations in working to meet community needs for assistance;
1-30     and
1-31                 (3)  coordinate the department's efforts to promote
1-32     involvement of faith-based organizations in providing community
1-33     services with similar efforts of other state agencies.
1-34           SECTION 2.  Section 2308.303(a), Government Code, is amended
1-35     to read as follows:
1-36           (a)  A board shall:
1-37                 (1)  serve as a single point of contact for local
1-38     businesses to communicate their skill needs and to influence the
1-39     direction of all workforce development programs in the workforce
1-40     development area;
1-41                 (2)  serve as a private industry council under the Job
1-42     Training Partnership Act (29 U.S.C. Section 1501 et seq.);
1-43                 (3)  develop a local plan to address the workforce
1-44     development needs of the workforce development area that:
1-45                       (A)  is responsive to the goals, objectives, and
1-46     performance standards established by the governor;
1-47                       (B)  targets services to meet local needs,
1-48     including the identification of industries and employers likely to
1-49     employ workers who complete job training programs; and
1-50                       (C)  ensures that the workforce development
1-51     system, including the educational system, has the flexibility to
1-52     meet the needs of local businesses;
1-53                 (4)  designate the board or another entity as the
1-54     board's fiscal agent to be responsible and accountable for the
1-55     management of all workforce development funds available to the
1-56     board;
1-57                 (5)  create local career development centers under
1-58     Section 2308.312;
1-59                 (6)  review plans for workforce education to ensure
1-60     that the plans address the needs of local businesses and recommend
1-61     appropriate changes in the delivery of education services;
1-62                 (7)  assume the functions and responsibilities of local
1-63     workforce development advisory boards, councils, and committees
1-64     authorized by federal or state law, including private industry
 2-1     councils, quality workforce planning committees, job service
 2-2     employer committees, and local general vocational program advisory
 2-3     committees;
 2-4                 (8)  monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the
 2-5     career development centers, state agencies and other contractors
 2-6     providing workforce training and services, and vocational and
 2-7     technical education programs operated by local education agencies
 2-8     and institutions of higher education to ensure that performance is
 2-9     consistent with state and local goals and objectives; and
2-10                 (9)  promote cooperation and coordination among public
2-11     organizations, community organizations, charitable organizations,
2-12     religious organizations, and private businesses providing workforce
2-13     development, in a manner consistent with the nondiscrimination
2-14     principles and safeguards stated in 42 U.S.C.  Section 604a.
2-15           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-16     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-17     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-18     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-19     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-20     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-21     passage, and it is so enacted.
2-22                                  * * * * *