By Delisi                                             H.B. No. 3431
         Line and page numbers may not match official copy.
         Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E.
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to the powers and duties of the Council on Workforce and
 1-3     Economic Competitiveness.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Section 2308.102(a), Government Code, is amended
 1-6     to read as follows:
 1-7           (a)  The council shall assume the duty to:
 1-8                 (1)  develop, with the assistance of each appropriate
 1-9     state agency, and recommend to the governor and legislature state
1-10     plans required by applicable federal law in order for the state to
1-11     receive federal funds;
1-12                 (2)  make policy recommendations to the governor and
1-13     the legislature on goals and priorities for formula and
1-14     discretionary funds for all  applicable programs;
1-15                 (3)  participate directly in the development of the
1-16     master plan for vocational education, as required by law, and
1-17     recommend the plan to the State Board of Education, the Texas
1-18     Higher Education Coordinating Board, [and] the governor, and the
1-19     legislature;
1-20                 (4)  ensure that general revenue funds previously
1-21     available to the Texas Literacy Council are used to support the
 2-1     efforts of local literacy councils in a manner consistent with the
 2-2     state strategic plan;
 2-3                 (5)  recommend to the State Board of Vocational
 2-4     Education the division of federal funds between secondary and
 2-5     postsecondary educational agencies under the Carl D. Perkins
 2-6     Vocational and Applied Technology Education Act (20 U.S.C. Section
 2-7     2301 et seq.); and
 2-8                 (6)  make recommendations to the Texas Employment
 2-9     Commission on unemployment insurance issues pertinent to the
2-10     responsibilities of the council.
2-11           SECTION 1.  Section 2308.104(a), Government Code, is amended
2-12     to read as follows:
2-13           (a)  The council shall develop and recommend to the governor
2-14     and the legislature a single strategic plan that establishes the
2-15     framework for the budgeting and operation of all workforce
2-16     development programs, including school to work  and welfare to work
2-17     transition programs, administered by agencies represented on the
2-18     council.  The council shall annually update the strategic plan.
2-19           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1999.
2-20           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-21     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-22     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-23     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-24     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.