SRC-JBJ H.B. 2503 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2503
By: Homer (Lucio)
Business & Commerce
5/10/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Employers who use publicly funded services offered by the Texas Workforce
Commission and local workforce development boards (boards) often find that
the workers referred to them lack basic work skills.  Boards may be able to
better address this by determining the skills employers need and focus
training on those skills.  H.B. 2503 requires each career development
center in a local workforce development area to administer a job skills
assessment test to a targeted recipient of public assistance to assess the
recipient's job skills before referring the recipient to an employer for an
interview or job placement. 

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 Chapter 2308G, Government Code, by adding Section
2308.3123, as follows: 

Sec. 2308.3123.  JOB SKILLS ASSESSMENT TEST.  (a)  Defines "targeted
recipient of public assistance." 

(b)  Requires each career development center in a local workforce
development area (center) to administer a job skills assessment test to a
targeted recipient of public assistance to assess the recipient's job
skills before referring the recipient to an employer for an interview or
job placement.  Authorizes the center to administer a job skills assessment
test to another person on request. 

(c)  Requires the local workforce development boards to ensure that any
assessment tests utilized are required to be used as counseling tools.
Requires the centers, because a single assessment test provides only
partial information about future job performance, to also examine the
profile of the targeted recipient of public assistance in determining the
appropriate referral and job placement.  Requires each local workforce
development board to ensure that the assessment tools utilized result in no
adverse impact for the individual being tested. 

(d)  Authorizes a local workforce development board to apply for, receive,
and use state and federal funds to administer job skills assessment tests
through career development centers in the local workforce development area. 

(e)  Authorizes a local workforce development board to collect data from
the job skills assessment tests to determine the effectiveness of providers
of workforce training and services. 
 
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.