By Oliveira H.B. No. 3656 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 authorizing community-based organizations to 1-3 participate in the skills development fund. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Section 303.001, Labor Code, is amended to read 1-6 as follows: 1-7 (a) The purpose of this chapter is to remove administrative 1-8 barriers that impede the response of public community and technical 1-9 colleges, community-based organizations and the Texas Engineering 1-10 Extension Service to industry and workforce training needs and to 1-11 develop incentives for public community and technical colleges, 1-12 community-based organizations and the Texas Engineering Extension 1-13 Service to provide customized assessment and training in a timely 1-14 and efficient manner. 1-15 (b) For purposes of this chapter, "assessment" means the 1-16 evaluation of an employer's workforce needs and requirements. 1-17 (c) For purposes of this chapter, a "community-based 1-18 organization" means a private nonprofit organization which: 1-19 (1) provides for education, vocational education, 1-20 rehabilitation, job training, or internship services and programs, 1-21 and includes development corporations and faith-based 2-1 organizations; and 2-2 (2) is certified as an organization exempt under 2-3 Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 2-4 SECTION 2. Section 303.003, Labor Code, is amended to read 2-5 as follows: 2-6 (a) To achieve the purposes of this chapter, the skills 2-7 development fund is created from money in the general revenue fund. 2-8 (b) The skills development fund may be used by public 2-9 community and technical colleges, community-based organizations or 2-10 the Texas Engineering Extension Service as start-up or emergency 2-11 funds for the following job-training purposes: 2-12 (1) developing customized training programs for 2-13 businesses and trade unions; and 2-14 (2) sponsoring small and medium-sized business 2-15 networks and consortiums. 2-16 (c) Money from the skills development fund may not be used 2-17 to pay the training costs and other related costs of an employer 2-18 who relocates the employer's worksite from one location in this 2-19 state to another in-state location. 2-20 (d) The executive director, or a person appointed by the 2-21 executive director who is knowledgeable in the administration of 2-22 grants, is responsible for the distribution of money from the 2-23 skills development fund. 2-24 (e) It is the intent of the legislature that, to the 2-25 greatest extent practicable, money from the skills development fund 3-1 shall be spent in all areas of this state. 3-2 (f) The Texas Engineering Extension Service shall focus the 3-3 service's training activities under this chapter on programs that: 3-4 (1) are statewide in nature; or 3-5 (2) are not available from a local junior college 3-6 district, a local technical college, or a consortium of junior 3-7 college districts. 3-8 (g) This section does not prohibit the Texas Engineering 3-9 Extension Service from participating in a consortium of junior 3-10 college districts or with a technical college that provides 3-11 training under this chapter. 3-12 (h) Community-based organizations may apply for funds to 3-13 participate in training programs, only in partnership with 3-14 community or technical colleges or the Texas Engineering Extension 3-15 Service. Community-based organizations providing services that are 3-16 regulated by the state must provide evidence of required 3-17 certification, license, or registration. 3-18 SECTION 3. Section 303.003, Labor Code, as amended by this 3-19 Act, applies only to a grant awarded by the Texas Workforce 3-20 Commission on or after September 1, 1999. A grant awarded before 3-21 that date is governed by the law in effect immediately before the 3-22 effective date of this Act, and the former law is continued in 3-23 effect for that purpose. 3-24 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 3-25 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 4-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 4-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 4-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 4-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 4-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 4-6 passage, and it is so enacted.