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.