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.