HBA-TBM C.S.H.B. 1175 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1175 By: Raymond Human Services 3/25/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND 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. C.S.H.B. 1175 requires a financial assistance counselor to receive four hours of domestic violence training and requires financial assistance agencies to determine if domestic violence is preventing a recipient from entering the workforce. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1175 amends the Human Resources Code to require the Texas Department of Human Services (DHS), the Texas Workforce Commission, the office of the attorney general, and each local workforce development board using existing resources to provide not less than four hours of training regarding family violence to employees whose duties relate to waivers for financial assistance requirements for victims of family violence or who assess employment readiness or provide employment services to a recipient of financial assistance. The bill prescribes that the training must be developed in collaboration with at least one organization with expertise in family violence issues and include information relating to the potential impact of family violence on the safety of an individual seeking or receiving financial assistance and the ability of victims of family violence to enter the workforce and attain financial independence. Before the application of a sanction or penalty based on the failure to cooperate with DHS or the office of the attorney general or to comply with the work or training requirements, the agency recommending or applying the sanction or penalty must make reasonable attempts to contact the individual to determine the cause of the failure to cooperate or comply. If the agency determines that family violence contributed to the failure, the agency shall ensure that a person trained in family violence issues interviews the individual to identify the types of services necessary to assist the individual in safely and successfully entering the workforce. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1175 differs from the original by requiring that family violence training be provided using existing resources and be developed in collaboration with at least one organization with expertise in family violence issues. The substitute requires an agency recommending or applying a sanction or penalty rather than an employee with family violence training to determine if family violence contributed to an individual's failure to comply with the work or training requirements.