SRC-CTC H.B. 1175 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 1175
77R10165 KKA-FBy: Raymond (Zaffirini)
Health & Human Services
4/27/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Domestic violence harms families and households, and may also have an
adverse effect on the victim's ability to find or keep employment.  A
financial assistance recipient (recipient) who is being victimized at home
may not be able to successfully enter the workforce.  H.B. 1175 requires a
financial assistance counselor to receive four hours of training on
domestic violence and requires financial assistance agencies to determine
if domestic violence is preventing a recipient from entering the workforce.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Section 31.0322, Human Resources Code, to require the
Texas Department of Human Services (department), the Texas Workforce
Commission (commission), the Title IV-D agency (agency), and each local
workforce development board (board), using existing resources, to provide
not less than four hours of training regarding family violence to each
employee or other person who on behalf of the department, commission,
agency, or board, makes certain recommendations or provisions.  Sets forth
certain requirements of the training required under this section.  Requires
the agency recommending or applying a sanction or penalty based on certain
failures by an individual, before the application of the sanction or
penalty, to make reasonable attempts to contact the individual to determine
the cause of the failure to cooperate or comply.  Requires the agency, if
the agency determines that family violence contributed to the failure, to
ensure that a person trained in family violence issues in accordance with
this section interviews the individual to identify the types of services
necessary to assist the individual in safely and successfully entering the
workforce. 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.