SRC-TBR, JBJ S.B. 167 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 167
77R2161 KLA-DBy: Zaffirini
Business & Commerce
4/2/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, there is not a memorandum of understanding between the Texas
Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
to assist certain recipients of financial assistance in obtaining
employment.  As proposed, S.B. 167 requires TWC and DHS to develop and
adopt a memorandum of understanding to establish a coordinated interagency
management plan to identify barriers to employment for certain recipients
of financial assistance and to assist those recipients in finding and
retaining employment. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Department of Human
Services and the Texas Workforce Commission in SECTION 1( Section 31.0128,
Human Resources Code) of this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Chapter 31A, Human Resources Code, by adding Section
31.0128, as follows: 

Sec. 31.0128. COORDINATED INTERAGENCY PLAN. (a) Requires the Texas
Department of Human Services (department) and the Texas Workforce
Commission (commission) to jointly develop and adopt a memorandum of
understanding, subject to the approval of the Health and Human Services
Commission.  Requires the memorandum of understanding to establish certain
guidelines for a coordinated interagency case management plan. 

  (b)  Requires the department and the commission to:

     _jointly develop and adopt a memorandum of understanding, subject to
the approval of the Health and Human Services Commission, that establishes
a coordinated interagency case management plan consistent with the
guidelines established under Subsection (a); and 

        _implement the plan through local department and commission offices
in local workforce development areas in which a local workforce development
board is not established. 

(c)  Requires each agency, by rule, to adopt the memoranda of understanding
required by this section and all revisions to the memoranda. 

(d)  Requires the commission, in a local workforce development area in
which a local workforce development board is established, to require in the
commission's contract with the board,  in cooperation with local department
offices, that a coordinated interagency case management plan consistent
with the guidelines established under Subsection (a), be developed and
implemented. 

 SECTION 2.  Requires the department and the commission, not later than
January 1, 2002, to adopt the memoranda of understanding and to implement
the interagency case management plan as required by this Act. 

SECTION 3.  Makes application of Section 31.0128(d), as added by this Act,
prospective. 

SECTION 4.  Effective date: September 1, 2001.