By Tillery H.B. No. 2487 76R6946 CMR-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the creation and operation of a legislative oversight 1-3 committee for the labor exchange system administered by the Texas 1-4 Workforce Commission. 1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 307, Labor Code, is amended by adding 1-7 Subchapter B to read as follows: 1-8 SUBCHAPTER B. LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT 1-9 Sec. 307.051. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: 1-10 (1) "Committee" means the labor exchange system 1-11 legislative oversight committee. 1-12 (2) "Labor exchange system" means the system by which 1-13 the Texas Workforce Commission, through its employer services 1-14 division, matches employers with job-seekers. The term includes 1-15 all electronic linkages and databases used by that system. 1-16 Sec. 307.052. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE; PRESIDING OFFICER. 1-17 (a) The committee is composed of: 1-18 (1) two members of the senate and one public member 1-19 appointed by the lieutenant governor; 1-20 (2) two members of the house of representatives and 1-21 one public member appointed by the speaker of the house of 1-22 representatives; and 1-23 (3) two employer representatives, one appointed by the 1-24 lieutenant governor and one appointed by the speaker of the house 2-1 of representatives. 2-2 (b) A member of the committee serves at the will of the 2-3 appointing official. 2-4 (c) The lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of 2-5 representatives, on an alternating basis, shall designate the 2-6 presiding officer of the committee from the membership of the 2-7 committee. The presiding officer serves in that capacity for a 2-8 two-year period expiring February 1 of each odd-numbered year. 2-9 Sec. 307.053. COMMITTEE POWERS AND DUTIES. (a) The 2-10 committee shall meet at the call of the presiding officer. 2-11 (b) The committee shall oversee the design of a 2-12 technologically advanced labor exchange system by the Texas 2-13 Workforce Commission as necessary to ensure: 2-14 (1) broad and ample input by employers in the design 2-15 of the system; 2-16 (2) the technological efficiency of the system; 2-17 (3) the compatibility of the system with available 2-18 national data banks; 2-19 (4) the inclusion of position and application 2-20 searching and feedback mechanisms in the system; and 2-21 (5) the provision through the system of on-line 2-22 technical assistance. 2-23 (c) The committee shall oversee the implementation of the 2-24 labor exchange system by the Texas Workforce Commission as 2-25 necessary to ensure: 2-26 (1) active marketing of the system to employers and 2-27 applicants; and 3-1 (2) aggressive training in the use of the system. 3-2 (d) The committee shall oversee the development of 3-3 performance standards for the system. 3-4 (e) The committee shall: 3-5 (1) monitor trends in: 3-6 (A) the use of the system by employers and 3-7 applicants; and 3-8 (B) successful placements of job-seekers in 3-9 positions of employment; and 3-10 (2) evaluate those trends against performance 3-11 standards and customer satisfaction. 3-12 (f) The committee may request reports and other information 3-13 from the Texas Workforce Commission and other state agencies as 3-14 necessary to carry out its duties under this section. 3-15 (g) The committee shall use the existing staff resources of 3-16 the senate and the house of representatives to assist the committee 3-17 in performing its duties under this section. 3-18 Sec. 307.054. REPORTS. Not later than November 15 of each 3-19 even-numbered year, the committee shall report to the governor, 3-20 lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives on 3-21 the results of the committee's activities. The report must 3-22 include any recommendations for legislative action. 3-23 SECTION 2. Sections 307.001, 307.002, and 307.003, Labor 3-24 Code, are designated Subchapter A, Chapter 307, Labor Code. 3-25 SECTION 3. The heading to Subchapter A, Chapter 307, Labor 3-26 Code, is added to read as follows: 3-27 SUBCHAPTER A. OPERATION OF EMPLOYMENT SERVICE 4-1 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 4-2 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 4-3 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-4 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-5 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-6 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.