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.