By Naishtat                                           H.B. No. 3631
         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 financial assistance and related services for TANF
 1-3     clients who are victims of family violence.
 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B. Chapter 31, Sec. 31.0321, Human
 1-6     Resources Code is amended by adding the following:
 1-7           (d)  Staff of the department, the Texas Workforce Commission,
 1-8     local workforce boards and their subcontractors, and the Title IV-D
 1-9     agency shall receive a minimum of four hours of training about
1-10     domestic violence, its potential impact on clients' safety and
1-11     their successful transition into the workforce, state laws and
1-12     agency rules regarding options available to TANF clients for whom
1-13     domestic violence poses a danger or an impediment to attaining self
1-14     sufficiency, and resources available within state or local
1-15     government agencies and in local communities to assist victims of
1-16     domestic violence in making a safe and successful transition into
1-17     the workforce.  Such training shall be provided for all staff who:
1-18                 (1)  Provide information to TANF applicants and clients
1-19     about participation requirements in the TANF program;
1-20                 (2)  Explain, recommend, or grant good cause exemptions
1-21     from participation requirements;
 2-1                 (3)  Assess employment readiness or provide employment
 2-2     planning or employment retention services to clients; or
 2-3                 (4)  Recommend or impose sanctions for noncooperation
 2-4     or noncompliance with TANF requirements.
 2-5           (e)  Before a sanction is imposed on a TANF recipient who
 2-6     fails to fulfill TANF cooperation or participation requirements,
 2-7     the recipient shall be interviewed by an appropriately trained
 2-8     person to determine if domestic violence or other significant
 2-9     barriers have contributed to the failure, whether good cause
2-10     reasons for noncooperation or noncompliance exist, and the kinds of
2-11     services or support systems needed to assist the recipient in
2-12     safely and successfully complying with TANF requirements and
2-13     becoming self-sufficient.
2-14           [(d)] (f)  The department shall coordinate the development of
2-15     procedures under this section in collaboration with the Texas
2-16     Workforce Commission, the Title IV-D agency, and at least one
2-17     statewide advocacy group for victims of domestic violence.
2-18           [(e)] (g)  In this section:
2-19                 (1)  "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
2-20     Section 71.004, Family Code.
2-21                 (2)  "Title IV-D agency" has the meaning assigned by
2-22     Section 101.033, Family Code.
2-23           SECTION 2.  (a)  The Texas Department of Human Services,
2-24     using an independent research group, shall conduct a study using
2-25     existing department funds to:
 3-1                 (1)  develop procedures for identifying TANF applicants
 3-2     or recipients for whom domestic violence poses a significant
 3-3     barrier to employment and self-sufficiency;
 3-4                 (2)  identify services or support systems TANF clients
 3-5     who are victims of domestic violence consider most beneficial in
 3-6     helping them to succeed in employment and to become
 3-7     self-sufficient; and
 3-8                 (3)  identify the availability of appropriate services
 3-9     and support systems identified in Sec. 2(a)(2).
3-10           (b)  The department shall report the results of this study to
3-11     the Texas Legislature no later than January 15, 2001.
3-12           SECTION 3.  (a)  Not later than January 15, 2001, the Texas
3-13     Department of Human Services, the Texas Workforce Commission, and
3-14     the Title IV-D agency shall submit a joint report to the
3-15     legislature concerning implementation of Section 31.0321, Human
3-16     Resources Code.  The report must include:
3-17           (a)  evidence that provisions of this section have been
3-18     implemented statewide;
3-19           (b)  the number of waivers, exemptions, or modifications of
3-20     requirements granted due to domestic violence; and
3-21           (c)  recommendations for future actions to assist TANF
3-22     clients who are domestic violence victims in achieving
3-23     self-sufficiency and safety.
3-24           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
3-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
 4-1     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
 4-2     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
 4-3     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.